DWR_3552703 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Geothermal Rules Statement of Basis and Purpose approval for the geothermal well permit. This Rule enables the State Engineer to modify construction requirements and use conditions to address specific or unique circumstances. For the protection of public health and the environment, Rule 8.2.3 requires the installation of blowout prevention equipment when constructing a Type A well into a reservoir containing fluids with temperatures greater than 120' Fahrenheit. The Rule also requires that the geothermal well owner or operator install and maintain equipment necessary to completely control and contain the flow of fluids from the well and to provide on -site personnel with any protective equipment that may be needed to avoid injury while performing construction and testing. Rule 8.3 states that construction materials that are buried or submerged for the construction of a Type A-CLH or Type A-CLV geothermal well must meet standards expressed in these Rules. The specified standards reflect minimum material standards necessary to protect the public health, ground water resources, and the environment. The Rule provides that it is the certified individual's responsibility to use materials exceeding the specified minimum standards if local conditions indicate that a higher standard of materials is needed. Rule 8.3.1 specifies that high density polyethylene pipe (HDPE) and vinyl coated copper tubing are the only pipe/tubing materials approved for installation in trenches and boreholes constructed for a geoexchange system. The Rule indicates that the polyethylene pipe material must meet the standards for high density polyethylene pipe (HDPE) described in Section 1 of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, Oklahoma State University, publication "Closed-Loop/Geothermal Heat Pump Systems: Design and Installation Standards 2000." The pipe standards may also be found in "Closed -Loop Geothermal Systems, Slinky® Installation Guide," 1994, published by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Oklahoma State University, International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, and Electric Power Research Institute. Further discussion of HDPE pipe standards is available in Appendix C of the "Closed-Loop/Ground Source Heat Pump Systems, Installation Guide," 1988, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Oklahoma State University, International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. All of the above references rely on ASTM standards for PE pipe. At the recommendation of closed -loop geoexchange designers and installers operating in Colorado, polybuhylene pipe (PB), formerly approved for use in the construction of loop fields in a geoexchange system, has not been specifically approved in these Rules for the construction of loop fields in a geoexchange system. Its use in construction of the buried portions of loop fields in a geoexchange system will require obtaining a variance from these Rules prior to installation. 7