Every well must be located on a site having good surface drainage, at a higher elevation than, and at a safe distance from, any barnyard, privy, soil pipe, any pipe through which sewage may back up or overflow or from any other possible source of pollution and in such a manner as to prevent the contamination of the water by either underground seepage or channels, lakes, ponds and surface drainage.

The horizontal distance from any such possible source of contamination such as privies, septic tanks, sewers, sub-surface pits, sub-surface sewage disposal fields, and barnyards must not be less than 100 feet. This distance shall be used only where a sanitary survey performed by the Arkansas Department of Health indicates it to be safe, and greater distances shall be required where local conditions necessitate. Chemical storage or disposal facilities shall not be located within 100 feet of the well, without written approval of the Arkansas Department of Health.

The location of each proposed well must be approved in writing by the Arkansas Department of Health prior to commencing construction.

No wellhead, well casing or well pump (except submersible pumps) shall be located in any pit, room or spaces extending below ground directly over the well.

The owners of water supplies utilizing a well source shall effectively control a restricted buffer (wellhead protection) zone around the well at 100 feet in radius. Deviation from ownership of the restricted buffer (wellhead protection) zone may be approved by the Arkansas Department of Health for a portion of the restricted buffer (wellhead protection) zone when that portion is owned by another entity and permanent protective easements approved by the Department of Health prohibit the conveyance, use, or storage of potential contaminants within the easement.

Every well must have an outside water tight casing extending below the ground surface to such a depth as may be necessary, depending upon the character of the underground formations, to exclude the entrance of undesirable water and sub-surface contamination, as determined by the Arkansas Department of Health. The outer casing should be seated securely into an impervious formation whenever possible, otherwise the casing should extend as far as practical below the water table. The casing, when it extends into a pump room, shall project above the pump room floor, and safely above maximum flood elevation.

The annular space between the excavation line and the outside of the casing shall be filled with impervious cement grout in such a manner as to prevent surface water or shallow ground water from running directly down the outside of the casing. The required depth of the grout seal will be determined by the Arkansas Department of Health after a review of the geological formation.

When required, the well must be protected at the surface by a water tight slab or platform extending a minimum of two feet in all directions from the well and sloped to provide drainage away from the well.

The discharge tee of the pump, together with the valves, shall be above the pump room floor. Any pump placed immediately over the well casing must have a watertight metal base to form a cover for the well. The base plate of the pump shall be recessed on the under side to permit the casing to extend into it at least one inch above the level of the concrete foundation. All air-relief vent openings must be at least 24 inches above the floor and must be screened and protected against the possibility of contaminating material entering the vent. Each wellhead shall be provided with a raw water sample tap and the means for measuring drawdown. Exceptions to this may be allowed for pitless adapters provided they conform with all requirements of the latest edition of “Recommended Standards for Waterworks” by the Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi river Board of State Sanitary Engineers (Ten States Standards).

All abandoned wells in consolidated formations must be filled from bottom to within two feet of the top with cement. All wells in unconsolidated formations must be filled with sand or natural material from the bottom to twelve (12) feet from the ground surface, and with bentonite or cement from twelve (12) feet to two (2) feet from the ground surface. The record of abandonment must be filed with the Arkansas Department of Health. See “Arkansas Water Well Construction Code” - Arkansas Water Well Construction Commission - for more detailed information on requirements.