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STATE OF COLORADO <br />BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF WATER WELL CONSTRUCTION AND PUMP INSTALLATION CONTRACTORS ov coto <br />j^' sion of Water Resources �° e <br />Sherrnan Street, Room 818 <br />Denver, CO 80203 " » <br />Phone (303) 866-3581 ie_Y6' <br />FAX (303) 866-3589 BOARD POLICY NO.2000-3 <br />Bill Owens <br />httpl/boe.state.co.us Revoked, Scroll for additional info Governor <br />License Requirements for the Construction Greg E. Walcher <br />of Gallery -Type Wells and Spring Wells Executive Director, DNR <br />Hal D. Simpson, P.E. <br />Secretary <br />PROBLEM <br />The Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors <br />('Board") issues licenses in four (4) categories based on examinations administered by <br />the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) for different types of drilling <br />equipment and methods. The categories for which a license can be obtained to construct <br />water wells are 1) air rotary construction, 2) mud rotary construction, 3) reverse rotary <br />construction, and 4) cable tool construction (Rule 8.2). A contractor can obtain a license <br />to construct water wells for any combination or all of the described construction methods. <br />Special licenses are issued for specialized work on wells or for methods of well <br />construction (and/or pump installation) not listed in the categories specified by the Board. <br />• Gallery -type well and spring well construction are commonly performed using <br />excavating equipment and are not "drilled" wells. The construction of gallery -type and <br />spring wells is within the scope of the provisions for issuance of a "special license". <br />However, there is confusion as to whether a special license is required for all persons <br />constructing these wells or if such wells can be constructed by a contractor who is <br />licensed to perform work under one or more of the categories designated by the Board <br />without obtaining a special license for such construction. <br />A well construction contractor licensed in one method of well construction designated by <br />the Board is eligible, without further experience, to take an examination for a different <br />method of well construction (Section 37-91-105(2)(d)(II), C.R.S.) designated by the <br />Board. As gallery -type and spring well construction are not within a designated category, <br />the Board must determine under which (if any) of the designated methods of well <br />construction such wells are associated or if a "special license" is needed for their <br />construction by any contractor who wishes to perform such work. A primary <br />consideration of this issue is what qualifications are necessary to ensure that the wells are <br />properly constructed to afford the greatest protection of the ground water resource and <br />the public health. In this context, no contractor licensed in one of the designated methods <br />of well construction is more likely to exceed another, based on the type of license held, <br />in the ability to construct gallery -type and/or spring wells that afford the greatest <br />protection of the aquifer and the public health. Because the Board expects all contractors <br />• licensed in one or more of the designated methods of well construction to be familiar <br />with the standard for materials required for well construction, the precautions that must <br />GLENN A. BODNAR, Denver, JANET BELLIS, Boulder, H. RAY NEWMYER, Mosca; GLENN CLEMENT, Greeley <br />1� P <br />