(1) “Water well” shall mean any excavation that is drilled, bored, cored, washed, driven, dug, jetted or otherwise constructed, when the intended use of such excavation is for the location, diversion or acquisition of ground water: Provided, however, That no excavation for the purposes of (a) obtaining or prospecting for oil, natural gas, minerals or products of mining or quarrying, (b) inserting media to repressure oil or natural gas bearing formation, storing petroleum or other materials shall be deemed a “water well” for the purpose of this act.

(2) “Ground waters” shall mean waters of underground streams, channels, artesian basins, reservoirs, lakes and other occurrences of water in and under the ground, whether percolating or otherwise.

(3) “Drilling” shall mean all acts necessary to the construction of wells, such as drilling, boring, coring, washing, jetting, driving and digging.

(4) “Department” shall mean the Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey in the State Planning Board of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.¹

(5) “Water well driller” shall mean any water well contractor who has contracted for the drilling, digging, driving, boring, coring, washing, jetting, constructing, altering or repairing any water well.

(6) “Person” shall mean any natural person, association, partnership or corporation. Whenever used in any section prescribing and imposing a penalty or imposing a fine or imprisonment or both, the term “person”, as applied to an association shall include the members thereof and, as applied to a corporation, the officers thereof. The provisions of this act restricting or regulating the actions of any person shall be construed as regulating or restricting the actions of the employes and agents of such person.

(7) “Well Owner” shall mean any person who owns land used for any purpose on which a well has been drilled.