Water Well Program

Directions to KDHE and Visitor Parking

• General Information
• Contact Information
• Forms and Procedures
• Informational Circulars (NEW)
• Regulations
• Licensing Process Flow Chart (Simplified Version)
• Water Well Contractor Exam Locations & Contacts 
• How to Obtain a Kansas Water Well Contractors License (WWP-9)
• Continuing Education Units (CEU) information - (KGWA Web site)
• Active Kansas Licensed Water Well Contractors List (Updated 5/2/2014)
• ACTIVE Kansas Licensed Water Well Contractors & Services by County - (KGWA Web site)
• KOLAR - Kansas Online Automated Reporting System for WWC-5 Forms
  • Announcement
  • Registration and instructions
  • How to correct a WWC-5 form when initially entered through KOLAR (NEW) 12/13
• Request for Blank WWC-5 and WWC-5P Forms 
• Fillable WWC-5 Form (.pdf)
  • WWC-5 Instructions
  • WWC-5 Form
• WWC-5 Form - Blank Print Only 
• Fillable WWC-5P Form (.pdf)
  • WWC-5P Instructions
  • WWC-5P Form 
• WWC-5P Form Blank Print Only 
•  Public Land Survey Section/Township/Range (STR) Finder   
• Links
• Kansas Geological Survey - Water Well Data Base
• Upcoming Seminars, Expos, Conferences and Workshops
  • Geology & Well Technology Section Fall 2014 Seminar and Training Sessions 3/14 (NEW)
• Frequently Asked Water Well Questions (NEW) 2/14
• Guidelines for Voluntary Baseline Groundwater Quality Sampling in the Vicinity of Hydraulic Fracture Operations, Kansas Geological Survey, Public Information Circular 34, Fross & Lyle, March 2013.
• Geothermal Wells and the Potential to Encounter Oil & Gas or Saltwater Bearing Zones
• Map and Phone List of LEPP County Sanitarians
• KDHE Certified Laboratories Listing
• The Private Well Class - Free Online Training for Private Well Owners
• Records Request Form (.pdf)
• Change of Address Form (NEW) 12/13

 

General Information

The Water Well Program at KDHE is administered by the Water Well Unit within the Geology Section.

The purpose of the Water Well Program is to provide for the exploration and protection of groundwater through the licensing and regulation of water well contractors in Kansas and to protect the health and general welfare of the citizens of Kansas. The program oversees the proper construction, reconstruction, treatment and plugging of water wells and to provide data on potential water supplies in Kansas. This is done by requiring well logs for all water well construction, reconstruction and plugging of wells within the state.

To become a Kansas Licensed Water Well Contractor requires submitting to KDHE a completed application, successful completion of a written exam and submitting the required fees to KDHE. After becoming a Licensed Water Well Contractor, the contractor is required to renew their license annually by submitting to KDHE a renewal application on a form provided by KDHE, filing all well records (WWC-5 form) for each well constructed, reconstructed or plugged during the previous year of licensure, satisfying the continuing education requirements and submitting the required fees.

Water Well Forms and Procedures

(Note: Some of the following files may require Adobe Acrobat).

Forms

• Water Well Handbook and Application (5/13) REVISED
• WWC-1 Application for Water Well Contractor License - Fillable Form (1/10)
• WWC-1R Renewal Application for Kansas Water Well Contractor License - Fillable Form (1/10)
• WWC-2 Character and Experience Reference Questionnaire - Fillable Form (1/10)
• WWC-3 Application for Kansas Water Well Contractor Drilling Rig Licenses - Fillable Form (6/11)
• WWC-5 Water Well Record Fillable Form (7/10)
• WWC-5P Water Well Plugging Record Fillable Form (7/10)
• WWC-6 Inactive Water Well Request  (4/12)
• WWC-7 Assignment of Water Well to Landowner - (5/11)

Procedures

• WWP-1 Procedure for Requesting a Waiver for Locating a Water Well Closer than 50 Feet from a Contamination Source (5/11)
• WWP-2 Procedure for Requesting a Waiver to Install a Well Closer than 25 feet from Property Line and/or Closer than 50 Feet from Nearest Source of Contamination (for Well Constructed after July 2, 1974) (5/11)
• WWP-3 Procedure for Requesting a Waiver to Allow Less than 20 Feet of Grout in a Water Well (5/11)
• WWP-4 Procedure for Requesting Inactive Status for Water Wells (5/11)
• Flush Mount Well Construction Detail (5/13)
• WWP-6 Procedure for Requesting a Waiver for Locating a Water Well Closer than 50 Feet from a Structure that has been treated for termites (5/11)
• WWP-8 Procedure for Geothermal Closed Loop Heat Pump Systems Using Vertical Boreholes (3/12)
• WWP-9 Procedure for Obtaining a Kansas Water Well Contractors License (5/11)
• WWP-10 Procedure for Plugging a Groundwater Monitoring Well (.pdf) (5/11)
• Construction Packet (5/11)
• Plugging Packet  (5/11)
• Methods for Chlorinating Private Water Supplies (5/11)
• How do I Plug a Dug Well? Fact Sheet (.pdf) (5/11)
• How do I Plug a Confined Water Well? Fact Sheet (.pdf) (5/11)
• Standard Monitoring Well Design (.pdf) (5/11)
• Plugging Abandoned Wells Brochure (5/11)

Informational Circulars

• Guidelines for Voluntary Baseline Groundwater Quality Sampling in the Vicinity of Hydraulic Fracturing Operations 6/13 (NEW)
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) Statement Prohibiting Conversion of Oil or Gas Wells and Dry Holes to Water Wells 6/13 (NEW)
• Factors Affecting Public-Water-Supply-Well Vulnerability to Contamination, USGS, Circular 1385  8/13 (NEW)

Regulations

• Article 12 Groundwater Exploration and Protection Act (5/11)
• Article 30 Water Well Contractor's License; Water Well Construction (7/13) (NEW)
  

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Contact Information:

Richard Harper, Chief, Water Well Section, (785) 296-3565
Fax:  (785) 296-5509
Mailing Address:  KDHE - Geology & Well Technology, 1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 420, Topeka, KS 66612-1367

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Links

American Ground Water Trust (Ground Water Education)

• American Ground Water Trust Home Page

Kansas Corporation Commission

• Project:  Schulte Brine Contamination Site
  • Schulte Leg Report 2010-11 (.pdf)
  • Schulte Cross Section (.pdf)
  • Schulte Groundwater Chloride Concentrations 2011-12 (.pdf)
  • Schulte Groundwater Elevation Map 2011-12 (.pdf)

Kansas Geological Survey

• Kansas Geological Survey - Water Well Data Base
• Drilling a Water Well on Your Land:  What You Should Know
• High Plains/Ogallala Aquifer Information

Kansas Department of Transportation

• Kansas Department of Transportation - County Maps

Ground Water Management Districts

• GMD 1 Home Page
• GMD 2 Home Page
• GMD 3 Home Page
• GMD 4 Home Page
• GMD 5 Home Page

Kansas Ground Water Association

• KGWA Home Page

Kansas State University

     KSU Extension Bulletins 

• Restoring a Flooded Well to Service
• Plugging Cisterns, Cesspools, Septic Tanks, and Other Holes
• Shock Chlorination for Private Water Systems
• Recommended Water Tests for Private Wells
• Taking a Water Sample
• Testing to Ensure Safe Drinking Water
• Understanding Your Water Test Report
• Organic Chemicals and Radionuclides in Drinking Water

National Ground Water Association

• NGWA Home Page

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

• USGS Home Page

  • Water Quality of Potential Concern in US Private Wells

Upcoming Seminars, Expos, Conferences and Workshops

• Geology Section Fall 2014 Seminar and Training Sessions 3/14 (NEW)