📄 Forms & Resources
Required before drilling any well. Submit to WMD or delegated county.
Download Form ↗Required within 30 days after completion of any permitted well.
Download Form ↗Additional Forms
- LEG-R.041.01: Well Abandonment/Grouting Form (plugging report)
- Continuing Education Forms: Course attendance (Form 1) and completion certificates (Form 2)
- Injurious Water Report: Report contaminated water found during drilling
📋 Licensing Requirements
Florida requires a Water Well Contractor license per F.S. 373.323. This single license covers drilling, pump installation, and repairs.
Qualifications
- Age: 18+ years old
- Experience: 2+ years documented experience in drilling/repairing/abandoning wells
- Proof: Letters from drillers/vendors, list of 10+ wells worked on (7+ constructed by applicant)
- Education: 12 hours of approved coursework within prior 2-year cycle
- Exam: Statewide written exam (70% passing score)
License Fees
Continuing Education
- Hours required: 12 hours per 2-year renewal cycle
- Mandatory topics: 6+ hours on well construction methodologies and state rules
- Optional topics: Up to 6 hours on safety/business practices
- Online limit: Maximum 6 CE credits via online courses
- Providers: DEP-approved providers (FGWA, GWTS, etc.)
- Record retention: Keep certificates for 1 year after course date
Renewal Process
Licenses renew every 2 years by July 31 of odd-numbered years. Renewal requires:
- Renewal form submission to WMD
- $50 renewal fee ($75 penalty after July 31)
- Proof of 12 hours CE completion
- 60-day grace period after July 31 (with penalty)
📝 Reporting & Documentation
Well Completion Report Requirements
The completion report must include:
- Well location (latitude/longitude or legal description)
- Total depth and lithology (formation descriptions)
- Water-bearing zones encountered
- Casing sizes, materials, and depths
- Grouting/sealing information (materials, depths)
- Groundwater levels and test data
- Disinfection details (if performed)
Field Logs
Contractors must keep a detailed field log for each well showing depths of casing, screen, cuttings, etc. These logs must be available on-site during drilling/repair. While no fixed retention period is specified, retain logs for several years (WMDs may inspect).
📖 Construction Standards (F.A.C. 62-532)
Casing Materials
Grouting/Sealing
- Consolidated formations: Neat cement grout required in annular space
- Driven casings (unconsolidated): Dry bentonite may be used
- Under-reaming: Fill enlarged zone with grout, drive casing through
- Grout thickness: 2+ inches (1+ inch for casings <4")
- Standards: Follow AWWA/AWWA-A100 recommended methods
Wellhead Covers
- Temporarily cap borehole with tamper-resistant cover when work is paused
- Permanently installed pump systems must use approved well seal
- Unused/dry wells must be securely capped (threaded/welded cover or valve)
Setback Requirements
Disinfection
All potable water wells must be disinfected (shock-chlorinated) after construction or major repair. Mix and circulate chlorine bleach (aiming for ~50 mg/L residual), let sit, then flush before use.
🏛️ Permits
Water Well Construction Permit
Per F.S. 373.313, prior permission (a permit) is required from the WMD (or delegated local authority) before constructing, repairing, modifying, or abandoning any well.
Key Permitting Steps:
- Submit Permit Application (Form LEG-R.040.01) to WMD or delegated county
- Include site sketch, proof of contractor license, and well use details
- Pay permit application fee (varies by district, typically $150+)
- WMD reviews application against F.A.C. 62-532 standards (30–60 days)
- If approved, permit is issued to contractor
Local Permitting Variations
Some counties issue well permits locally instead of through the WMD:
- Manatee County: Local health/environmental office
- Sarasota County: Local health/environmental office
- Marion County: Local health/environmental office
Other counties issue permits through the WMD. Always verify with local authorities.
High-Capacity Wells
Withdrawals of 100,000+ gallons per day (≈69 gpm) require a formal water use permit (WUP) hearing. These permits often require hydrogeologic studies and take months to approve.
Special Permits
- Geothermal (closed-loop): Follow IGSHPA standards (F.A.C. 62-532.500(2)). Some WMDs have streamlined provisions for heat pump boring permits.
- Monitoring/Remediation Wells: Usually require standard well permit, but wells drilled as part of DEP cleanup programs may be handled separately.
- Injection Wells: Fall under DEP's Underground Injection Control program (Ch. 373.223, 403), not general water well rules.
🗺️ Drilling Conditions by Region
- Sands and limestones (Marianna, Suwannee, Ocala formations)
- Typical depths: 100–500 ft
- Watch for caving sand/clay
- Some areas have elevated arsenic
- Upper confining unit (Hawthorn Group clays) at 50–300 ft
- Limestone (Ocala/Avon Park) at 800–1,200 ft
- Lost circulation in fractured carbonate
- Iron-bacterial slime and hydrogen sulfide common
- Very shallow (<50 ft) Miami Limestone or sand aquifer
- Biscayne aquifer common
- Saltwater intrusion risk in coastal areas
- High water table, may encounter water immediately
- Wet season (summer/fall): water table rises
- Dry season (winter): water levels drop tens of feet
- Flood-prone areas may have wells inundated during storms
- No ground freezing concerns (rare frosts in north)
⚠️ Special Zones & Protections
Arsenic Advisory Areas
Florida has naturally elevated arsenic in groundwater in parts of north and central Florida (several Panhandle counties and north peninsula). In these zones:
- Contractors advised to drill deeper (through sulfide/metamorphic-bearing strata)
- Seal out arsenic-bearing zones with proper casing
- Some WMDs may require metered treatment or deeper casing
- Consult DEP/DOH for site-specific recommendations
Delineated Contamination Areas
DEP identifies areas of known groundwater contamination (industrial solvents, citrus fumigants) and publishes delineated contamination area maps (F.A.C. 62-524). In these zones:
- New wells may require special permitting
- Mandatory water quality testing
- Deeper casing requirements
- County health department usually requires annual monitoring
Check the DEP Delineated Areas map before drilling.
Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPA)
For public supply wells, DEP rules establish a 500-ft radius Wellhead Protection Area. Within WHPAs:
- New septic systems, underground tanks, hazardous waste prohibited
- Any required wells must meet higher standards
- Prudent practice: avoid siting new wells or contaminant sources within mapped public WHPAs
📞 Resources & Contacts
Water Management District Contacts
| District | Region | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NW Florida WMD | Panhandle (Bay, Escambia, etc.) | 850-539-5999 | Permits@nwfwater.com |
| Suwannee R. WMD | Northeast FL (16 counties) | 386-362-1001 | info@mysuwanneeriver.com |
| St. Johns R. WMD | East FL (Brevard, Nassau) | 386-329-4500 | customerservice@sjrwmd.com |
| SW Florida WMD | Central/west FL (Polk, Hillsborough) | 352-796-7211 | info@watermatters.org |
| S. Florida WMD | South FL (Miami-Dade, Broward) | 561-682-2700 | wellpermitting@sfwmd.gov |
Regulatory References
- F.S. 373.323 – Water Well Contractor licensing
- F.S. 373.324 – License renewal and continuing education
- F.A.C. 62-531 – Contractor Licensing Requirements
- F.A.C. 62-532 – Water Well Construction Standards
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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