BCGWA Ground Water Protection Regulation Workshops

1
BCGWA Ground Water Protection Regulation Workshops

• 2005 BCGWA Conference
• Penticton, B.C. March 3-4, 2005
• Gilles Wendling
• Kaya Forest

2
Outline

• Highlights of BCGWA Ground Water Protection
  Regulation Workshops
• Registration process
• Certified well drillers and pump installers
• Experienced well drillers and pump installers
• Application information
• Well standards under the GWPR
• Contact information

3
BCGWA GWPR Workshops

• A series of day-long workshops are in the process
  of being organized
• Will run in various communities around the
  province in the next several months
• Target audience is well drillers and well pump
  installers (and related industry professionals)
• Focus will be on how the GWPR impacts drillers
  and pump installers
• registration process under the regulation
• Code of Practice minimum well standards and
  driller/pump installer responsibilities

4
1. Registration Process (before November 1, 2006)

• All applicants must
• be 19 years of age
• have one of the following
• certification from province of B.C. or CGWA plus
  a minimum of three years experience
  (certification option) OR
• a minimum of five years experience
  (grand-parenting option)
• Registration is for individual drillers/pump
  installers only, not a company.

5
Identification Card

• Once the application has been evaluated and
  approved by WLAP, the driller or pump installer
  becomes qualified under the Regulation and an
  identification card will be issued.
• card must be presented on request to Ministry
  staff
• any registration and ID card questions directed
  to Deputy Comptroller

6
Registration Process Certification Option for
Well Drillers

• To qualify under the Certification option, well
  drillers must have all of the following
• a Certificate of Qualification as a Water Well
  Driller issued by the Province of B.C. or a
  certificate as a Ground Water Drilling Technician
  issued by the Canadian Ground Water Association
  (CGWA) AND
• minimum of 3 years full time experience drilling
  wells
• experience documented by Letter(s) of Reference
  and Work History specifying direct drilling
  experience
• This is the only option available to well
  drillers after November 1, 2006.

7
Registration Process Grand-parenting Option for
Well Drillers

• To qualify under the Grand-parenting option, well
  drillers who do not have certification must have
  the following
• minimum of 5 years full time experience drilling
  wells
• experience documented by Letter(s) of Reference
  and Work History specifying direct drilling
  experience
• This option is only available to drillers who
  apply before November 1, 2006.

8
Prior to November 1, 2006
Do you possess certification as a well driller?
Grandparenting Option
Certification Option
NO
YES
Is this certification either a Certificate of
Qualification as a Water Well Driller issued by
the Province of B.C or a certificate as a Ground
Water Drilling Technician issued by the CGWA?
Do you have a minimum of 5 years of full time
experience drilling wells that can be verified by
a letter(s) of reference?
YES
NO
NO
YES
Go to Grand-parenting option
Do you have a minimum of 3 years of full time
experience drilling wells that can be verified by
a letter(s) of reference?
Will you have 5 years of full time experience
drilling wells before November 2006?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Will you be 19 years of age before November 2006?
YES
NO
Are you 19 years of age or older?
NO
YES
You are not currently eligible to apply for
registration as a Well Driller under the
Regulation?
You are eligible to apply for registration as a
Well Driller under the Regulation?
9
Prior to November 1, 2006
Do you possess certification as a well driller?
Grandparenting Option
Certification Option
NO
YES
Is this certification either a Certificate of
Qualification as a Water Well Driller issued by
the Province of B.C or a certificate as a Ground
Water Drilling Technician issued by the CGWA?
Do you have a minimum of 5 years of full time
experience drilling wells that can be verified by
a letter(s) of reference?
YES
NO
NO
YES
Go to Grand-parenting option
Do you have a minimum of 3 years of full time
experience drilling wells that can be verified by
a letter(s) of reference?
Will you have 5 years of full time experience
drilling wells before November 2006?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Will you be 19 years of age before November 2006?
YES
NO
Are you 19 years of age or older?
NO
YES
You are not currently eligible to apply for
registration as a Well Driller under the
Regulation?
You are eligible to apply for registration as a
Well Driller under the Regulation?
10
Prior to November 1, 2006
Do you possess certification as a well driller?
Grandparenting Option
Certification Option
NO
YES
Is this certification either a Certificate of
Qualification as a Water Well Driller issued by
the Province of B.C or a certificate as a Ground
Water Drilling Technician issued by the CGWA?
Do you have a minimum of 5 years of full time
experience drilling wells that can be verified by
a letter(s) of reference?
YES
NO
NO
YES
Go to Grand-parenting option
Do you have a minimum of 3 years of full time
experience drilling wells that can be verified by
a letter(s) of reference?
Will you have 5 years of full time experience
drilling wells before November 1, 2006?
YES
NO
YES
NO
Will you be 19 years of age before November 1,
2006?
YES
NO
Are you 19 years of age or older?
NO
YES
You are not currently eligible to apply for
registration as a Well Driller under the
Regulation?
You are eligible to apply for registration as a
Well Driller under the Regulation?
11
Scenario 1

• Joe is a well driller with certification from
  Alberta and 7 years of full time experience
  drilling mostly water wells with cable tools.
• his certification from Alberta is not sufficient
  to allow him to qualify to register under the
  certification option

certification is not transferrable from province
to province
12
Scenario 1

• Joe is a well driller with certification from
  Alberta and 7 years of full time experience
  drilling mostly water wells with cable tools.
• his 7 years experience will allow him to qualify
  under the grand-parenting option provided he
  applies before the November 1, 2006 deadline

experience from any jurisdiction is accepted
13
Scenario 1

• Joe is a well driller with certification from
  Alberta and 7 years of full time experience
  drilling mostly water wells with cable tools.
• he qualifies to register to drill any type of
  well even though his experience is solely (or
  mostly) drilling water wells with cable tools

driller is not limited to a specific drilling
type once registered
14
Scenario 2

• Dave is a well driller with 2 years full time
  experience drilling monitoring wells but has no
  certification. He applies on October 15, 2006.
• as he does not have certification, he does not
  qualify to register under the certification option

After November 1, 2006, all applicants must have
certification plus a minimum of 3 years full time
experience to qualify to register.
15
Scenario 2

• Dave is a well driller with 2 years full time
  experience drilling monitoring wells but has no
  certification. He applies on October 15, 2006.
• as his 2 years experience is less than the 5 year
  minimum, he does not qualify under the
  grand-parenting option. He will not have
  sufficient experience before the November 1, 2006
  deadline to qualify for the grand-parenting
  option.

Options? Dave will have to obtain recognized
certification and continue to work full time for
another year until he has the minimum 3 years
experience before reapplying under the
post-November 1, 2006 rules.
16
Application Information

• All applications must contain the following
• Completed, signed, and dated application
• Notarized documentation of proof of age
• Documented evidence of one of the following
• For certification option applicants
• Notarized documentation of certification
• Letter(s) of Reference covering minimum of 3
  years experience
• Completed, signed and dated Work History
  (Appendix B of application) detailing minimum of
  3 years experience
• For grand-parenting option applicants
• Letter(s) of Reference covering minimum of 5
  years experience
• Completed, signed and dated Work History
  (Appendix B of application) detailing minimum of
  5 years experience

17
Application Form
18
Letter of Reference Appendix A
19
Work History Appendix B
20
2. Well Standards

• The GWPR covers the following well standards
• surface sealing
• well identification
• deactivation and closure of wells
• well caps and well covers
• floodproofing
• wellhead protection

Deputy Comptroller of Water Rights Water
Protection Section Ministry of Water, Land Air
Protection PO Box 9341 Victoria BC V8W 9M1 (250)
356-5062 ground.web_at_gems4.gov.bc.ca
21
Responsibilities

• The GWPR defines responsibilities according to
• well driller and/or well pump installer
• owner
• engineer
• Specific well standard requirements are the
  responsibility of the person constructing or
  deactivating the well (driller and/or pump
  installer) and/or the owner.

22
Classes of Wells

• The GWPR requirements are based on classes of
  wells which are defined.
• water supply well (domestic and non-domestic)
• monitoring well
• recharge or injection well
• dewatering or drainage well
• remediation well
• geotechnical well

23
Classification of Wells

• Further categorization of the well also
  determines whether a specific standard applies.
• temporary or permanent well
• method of drilling well
• drilling, driving, jetting, or excavating
• orientation of well
• horizontal or vertical

24
Well Identification Standards under the B.C. GWPR

• BCGWA Ground Water Protection Regulation
  Workshops
• Gilles Wendling

25
Well Identification Classes of Wells

• Information describing requirements for well
  identification can be found in the GWPR in Table
  2.
• Key classes of wells in this section
• water supply wells (all types of both domestic
  and non-domestic sub-classes)
• recharge and injection wells
• permanent dewatering wells

26
Well Identification Types of Wells

• water supply well - for extracting and using
  ground water but does not include a drainage,
  dewatering, or remediation well
• recharge well - used to convey water into a
  geologic formation without the aid of a pump
• injection well - used to convey water into a
  geologic formation with the aid of a pump
• permanent dewatering well - used to divert or
  convey water by pumping to facilitate
  construction of an excavation, stabilize land, or
  reduce pressure in a geologic formation and
  intended to be used for more than 90 days

27
Well Identification Plate

• Obtain plates from Province of B.C. (WLAP)
• To be attached to new water supply, recharge,
  injection, and permanent dewatering wells,
  altered water supply wells, and existing water
  supply wells
• must be attached securely to the well casing,
  well cap or well cover so that the ID number is
  clearly visible
• well ID number must be recorded on well
  construction report and submitted to the
  comptroller within 90 days after the well
  completion date

28
Wells Requiring Identification Drillers
Responsibilities

• person responsible for drilling a
• new water supply well
• new drilled recharge or injection well
• new permanent drilled vertical dewatering well
• must attach a well ID plate on completion of the
  well
• after October 31, 2005, person responsible for
  altering
• an existing water supply well or
• a drilled recharge, injection, or permanent
  vertical dewatering well
• that does not have an ID plate attached, must
  attach one

29
Wells Requiring Identification Owners
Responsibilities

• owner of an existing water supply well must
  attach a well ID plate to it before October 31,
  2006 and record the well ID number on a form
  (Schedule 2) to be submitted to the comptroller
  within 90 days
• owner must
• maintain and safeguard well ID plate from damage
• ensure well ID plate remains plainly visible
• report any damage to the ID plate to the
  comptroller

30
Owners Responsibilities
31
Well Identification (Schedule 1 Table 2)
32
Well Identification (Schedule 1 Table 2)
33
Well Identification (Schedule 1 Table 2)
34
Contact Information

• Well standards and technical questions
• B.C Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection
• Vancouver Island Mike Feduk [phone]
• Lower Mainland
• Okanagan Des Anderson [phone]
• Thompson-Cariboo Kevin Bennett [phone]
• Registration and regulation questions
• Deputy Comptroller (Victoria) Mike Wei (250)
  356-5062
• email ground.web_at_gems4.gov.bc.ca
• WLAP ground water website wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wat/g
  ws/
• BCGWA
• BCGWA, secretary [phone]
• Gilles Wendling, EBA [phone]