Forms & Resources
Required for every completed well. Due within 60 days.
Fee: $70 (≤50 gpm) / $110 (>50 gpm)
Access Forms ↗Required for new license applicants. No fee for Nebraska exams.
Must score ≥70% on each section
Download Form ↗All NDEE Forms
- WAT302: Water Well Registration Form (new wells)
- WAT613: Change of Ownership Form (no fee)
- WAT613A: Decommissioning Form (no fee)
- 21-022: Exam Application (licensing)
- Pump Installation/Modification Form: Report any pump work (no fee)
Licensing Requirements
Nebraska requires state licensing for all water well construction, pump installation, and decommissioning per §46-1231.
License Categories
Exam Process
- Submit official Exam Application (Form 21-022) to NDEE
- Nebraska exams have no fee (national exams paid by examinee)
- Must score ≥70% on each section
- Upon passing, submit license application and fee to NDEE
- Receive printed license within 2-4 weeks
License Renewal
- Expiration: December 31 of even-numbered years (biennial)
- Renewal notice: Mailed ~30 days before expiration
- Requirements: Complete 12 hours CE, submit notarized affidavit, pay renewal fee
- Fee: Set by NAC 178-11-003 (contact NDEE for current amount)
- Late renewal: NDEE will refuse renewal if CE or fees unmet
Continuing Education
- Hours required: 12 hours per 2-year renewal cycle
- Course topics: Must relate to drilling/pumping disciplines
- Providers: Board-approved providers only (see NDEE approved list)
- Record retention: Keep certificates of attendance
- Submission: Submit notarized affidavit of completion by Dec 31
Reporting & Documentation
Well Registration Requirements
By statute (§46-602), the well registration must include:
- Site data and property location (legal description)
- Owner information and driller license number
- Well depth, casing sizes, materials, and depths
- Lithology log (formation descriptions)
- Water-bearing zones encountered
- Grouting/sealing information per Title 178
- Static water level and yield data
Record Retention
Licensees must retain records of all operations. Keep copies of licensing documents, well permit forms, well logs, and CE certificates. While no specific statutory retention period exists for private records, it is prudent to keep records for several yearsand for the duration of the well's existence.
Construction Standards (Title 178 NAC S12)
Nebraska's primary well drilling regulations are codified in Title 178, Nebraska Administrative Code. Chapter 12 contains technical standards for water well construction, pump installation, and decommissioning.
Casing Materials
All wells (except test holes) must be cased with durable, non-toxic materials. Casing walls must withstand soil pressures and corrosion. Casing must be centered with at least 2" annular space filled with grout.
Screens
- Screened openings must be non-toxic metal or plastic
- Continuous slots, punched/molded slots ≥0.006" (torching prohibited)
- Apertures should retain ≥85% of gravel pack or ≥50% of aquifer material
Grouting & Sealing
Wells must be sealed to prevent cross-contamination between aquifers:
- Approved grouts: Neat cement slurry (≤5.2 gal water per 94 lb bag cement; no fly-ash) or bentonite grouts
- Cement placement: Must not free-fall more than ~10 ft
- Separation: Cement can be separated from bentonite by 2-4 ft of fine sand
- Primary aquifer seal: Minimum 5 ft of bentonite slurry (or high-solids cement) just below static water level
- Pitless adapter: If used, 5 ft seal required below adapter
- Annular space: Must be completely grouted to land surface
Setback Requirements
Disinfection
After development, potable wells must be disinfected (chlorinated) before use, per NDEE guidance (typically 25-100 mg/L Cl₂ residual). An official "Waiver of Disinfection" form (Attachment 178-12-1) exists for owners who decline chlorination after understanding the risks. Operators should flush until clear, then collect a bacteriological sample for testing.
Permits
High-Capacity Wells (>50 gpm)
Any new well designed to pump >50 gallons per minute must obtain a drilling permit prior to construction from the local Natural Resources District (NRD). A few NRDs have lower thresholds (e.g., >20 gpm). Contact your NRD early when planning large irrigation or municipal wells.
Domestic Wells (≤50 gpm)
- Typically require only registration with NDEE (no NRD permit)
- Registration fee: $70
- Due within 60 days of completion
- Some NRDs may have additional rules - always check local NRD
Special Permits
Geothermal (Ground-Source) Wells
Multiple bores at one site considered one well for registration. One form and site plan for entire array. NRD permit may be needed if combined design flow exceeds thresholds.
Monitoring & Remediation Wells
Series of monitoring wells on one site may use Group Registration(single form with site plan per §46-602). Injection wells require separate Underground Injection Control permit from NDEE Drinking Water.
Drilling Conditions by Region
- Thick silt/sand deposits (Ogallala Formation)
- Typical depths: 300-600+ ft for irrigation
- High permeability yields large flows
- Can collapse easily without proper casing/grouting
- Sandhills: shallow screens (100-300 ft), heavy development needed
- Bedrock aquifers (Niobrara chalk, Cretaceous sandstones)
- Wells often exceed 1,000 ft
- Niobrara formations can produce artesian flows
- Dakota sandstone: smaller yields, hard zones, heavy bits required
- Siliceous clays can bind on casing collars
- Thick glacial till (clays/sands) over plateaus
- Wells range 100-500 ft into buried channels
- Deep Paleozoic sandstone/limestone aquifers (500+ ft)
- Hard formations; iron-oxide staining common
- Low yields unless in sandier layers
- Hard formations (quartzite, limestone) wear bits rapidly
- Fine sands may collapse during drilling
- Perched water zones can blow out
- Artesian conditions require blowout prevention
- High water inflow needs mud control
- Swelling clays, basalt layers pose unique risks
Seasonal Considerations
- Frost line: Generally 2-3 ft in winter. Deep drilling best when ground unfrozen or rigs thawed
- Spring thaws: Raise water table and flooding risk
- Flood plains: Wellhead must be above 100-year flood level
- Summer: High water demand may draw down shallow levels; plan for seasonal fluctuation
Resources & Contacts
Regulatory References
- Title 178, Nebraska Administrative Code – Water Well Standards (all chapters)
- Nebraska Revised Statute §46-602 – Well registration (60 days)
- Nebraska Revised Statute §46-1231 – Licensed drillers required
- 178 NAC §12-003 – General requirements (setbacks, casing, grouting)
- 178 NAC §10-006 – Continuing competency requirements
- 178 NAC §12-012 – Water well decommissioning
Frequently Asked Questions
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