What Can You Tell me About Wells?

I am thinking about drilling a well on my recently purchased property. What can you tell me about wells?
- Al in Chino Valley

Al, every new well is required by law to be registered with the State of Arizona. The well owner of the well driller will report all of the well information to ADWR. In Arizona there are two categories of wells: exempt and non-exempt. Exempt wells are those that pump less than 35 gallons per minute or 18.4 million gallons a year. Non-exempt wells are allowed to pump more than 35 gallons per minute and are required to file more stringent water report records with regulatory agencies. The Arizona Ground Water Management Act of 1980 identifies wells used for domestic or household purposes as “Exempt wells” because owners are not required to report how much water they pump. Most common in Yavapai County are thousands of exempt wells which are drilled by piercing the bedrock to a depth of 100-400 feet. Arizona state law requires that all wells be constructed in compliance with standards described in the ADWR rules governing well construction and the licensing of well drillers(A.A.C.R1215801 through R1215822 and A.A.C.R.1215850 through R1215852) All new wells proposed in Yavapai County are permitted through Yavapai County Development Services. Working in cooperation with ADWR during the permitting process, ADWR maintains data on groundwater conditions in areas where wells are commonly drilled. Areas of land in Yavapai County may have little or no significant groundwater supplies. Residents in these areas must consider alternative water delivery systems. Well owners are not trained as well operators and are often unfamiliar with water quality standards and testing. The University of Arizona has developed a Well Owner’s Guide on the web which provides detailed sections to assist the well owners with water quality concepts, drinking water guidelines, well system operation, maintenance and testing. It is critical to use a certified licensed well driller if you are contemplating a well.