Forms & Resources
Required for every completed well. Due within 30 days.
Submit to: ODNR, local health district, and owner.
Electronic Submission →Required when sealing/abandoning a well. Due within 30 days.
Submit to: ODNR, local health district, and owner.
Electronic Submission →Other Required Forms
- Well Completion Form: Local health district form (varies by county), due 30 days after work
- Contractor Registration Application: Annual renewal with ODH by December 31
- Injurious Water Report: If contaminated water encountered during drilling
Registration Requirements
Ohio requires registration as a Private Water Systems Contractor per ORC 3701.344 and OAC 3701-28-18.
Registration Fees
Bond & Insurance Requirements
Continuing Education
- Hours required: 6 hours per annual renewal cycle
- Approved courses: ODH-approved providers, NGWA certifications, Ohio EPA operator certs, NAWT/WQA certifications
- Documentation: Submit proof with annual renewal by December 31
- Acceptable credentials: Current NGWA CWD/CPI, Ohio EPA Class I–IV operator certification
Reporting & Documentation
Well Log Requirements
The well log (Form W-1) must include (ORC 1521.05):
- Depth and lithology (formation descriptions)
- Water-bearing zones encountered
- Casing sizes, materials, and depths
- Grouting/sealing information (materials, depths, methods)
- Pump test data (if conducted)
- Total depth, static water level, final yield
Sealing Requirements
All dry holes or boreholes left open must be sealed within 10 days (OAC 3701-28). A Well Sealing Report (Form W-5) is required within 30 days of plugging (ORC 1521.05). Submit to ODNR, local health district, and owner.
Construction Standards (OAC 3701-28)
Casing Materials & Requirements
- Minimum diameter: 5 inches (unless drive-point well) (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Materials: Steel or durable plastic (PVC), NSF-certified for drinking water
- Minimum depth: 25 feet below ground (unless exempted) (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Seating: Must be firmly seated in competent geologic formation (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Joints: Watertight, centered within borehole (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Pitless adapter: Required above frost line (12" minimum above grade unless protected)
Annular Seal (Grouting)
- Annular space must be grouted (cement or bentonite) from bottom to ground surface (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Grout must penetrate all non-potable zones and aquifer confining layers
- Multiple screens/aquifers require sealing between zones (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Confined aquifers may require pressure grouting (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Surface completion: wellhead must drain away from well, vent screens intact
Setback Requirements (OAC 3701-28-07)
Full table in OAC 3701-28-07 Table 1
Disinfection
Any new, reconditioned, or repaired well for human consumption must be disinfected before service (OAC 3701-28-10). Wells with less than 25 feet of casing require continuous disinfection systems (OAC 3701-28-10). Shock chlorination is mandatory per OAC 3701-28-11.
Flowing (Artesian) Wells
Special construction requirements apply for flowing wells (OAC 3701-28-10):
- Flow control mechanisms required
- Double-casing may be necessary
- Extra grouting to prevent flow in annular space
- Anticipate artesian conditions where confined aquifers exist (common in NW Ohio and SE sandstone formations)
Permits
Local Health District Permits
All well drilling requires a permit from the local Board of Healthbefore work begins (OAC 3701-28-03). The homeowner or contractor must apply with:
- Site plan showing well location, setbacks, buildings, septic systems (OAC 3701-28-03)
- Contractor name and ODH registration number (OAC 3701-28-03)
- Permit fee (varies by county, typically $150–$500)
The health district reviews in 10–15 business days and issues permit if compliant (OAC 3701-28-03).
High-Capacity Wells (ODNR)
Large withdrawals require registration/permits from ODNR Division of Water Resources:
- >100,000 gal/day: Must register and report annual withdrawals (ORC 1521.16)
- >2 million gal/day: Requires Water Withdrawal Permit (ORC 1521.23–.29), $1,000 fee
- Public water systems: Exempt if serving 25+ people and pre-1988 or minor distribution changes (ORC 1521.23)
Special Well Types
- Geothermal (open-loop): Treated as test/private wells; permit required if converting to potable use, otherwise must be sealed (OAC 3701-28-07 setbacks apply)
- Monitoring/test wells: Require same local health permit as drinking water wells (OAC 3701-28-03). Abandoned test holes must be sealed.
Drilling Conditions by Region
- Thick glacial till and outwash
- Buried sand & gravel valleys or shallow carbonate rocks
- Typical depths: 100–300 ft through overburden
- Yield highly variable (some sand/gravel >500 gpm)
- Hard glacial clay layers can impede drilling
- Glaciated in north; limestones and sandstones
- Salina, Bass Islands, Berea, Bedford aquifers
- Typical depths: 100–500 ft
- Moderate yields (100–300 gpm)
- Ohio Shale/Crooked Creek can collapse—use proper casing
- Thin unconsolidated cover; bedrock near surface
- Primary aquifers: sandstone (Big Lime, Berea, Oriskany)
- Hard rock drilling (shale/sandstone)
- Artesian conditions common in confined sandstones
- Salem formation (limestone): corrosive, high iron
- Glacial sand & gravel over Silurian/Devonian carbonates
- Deeper wells (>300 ft) to reach aquifer below clay till
- Limestone aquifers: very high flows (often artesian)
- Drilling must control borehole due to flows
- Frost depth: 3–4 ft in Ohio. Wellheads must be above frost (12" min above grade) (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Water table: Spring rains raise shallow aquifers; late summer droughts lower tables
- Floodplain: New wells prohibited in 100-year floodplain unless properly elevated (OAC 3701-28-07)
Special Requirements
Arsenic Advisory Areas
Certain Ohio regions have elevated arsenic. USGS found ~37% of wells in SW Ohio above 10 µg/L, with peaks up to 67.6 µg/L. Arsenic is unpredictable (found in glacial aquifers and carbonates, at various depths).
- High-risk counties: Miami, Preble, Licking, Geauga, Clark
- No specific casing rule: Advise clients to test water
- Consider: Deeper casing through organic/pyritic zones if known
Other Contaminants
Ohio does not designate formal advisory zones for nitrates, radon, etc. However, OAC requires wells be set upgradient of known sources and away from hazards (see setbacks).
- Methane: Must be vented if encountered (OAC 3701-28-10 requires venting mechanisms)
- Saline zones: Grout out any saline water encountered (OAC 3701-28-10)
- Karst features / abandoned mines: OAC 3701-28-10 prescribes special sealing
Wellhead Protection Areas
Public drinking wells have mandated Source Water Protection plans (ORC 6109; OAC 3745-91). Private wells generally have no dedicated protection overlay, but:
- Wells must be upgradient of known hazards (OAC 3701-28-07)
- Check for local Source Water Protection Areas (SWPA)
- Drilling within ½–1 mile of municipal well may require local review
Resources & Contacts
Regulatory References
- Ohio Revised Code 3701.344 – Contractor registration requirements
- Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-28 – Private water systems construction standards
- OAC 3701-28-18 – Contractor registration and certification
- Ohio Revised Code 1521.05 – Well log filing requirements
- Ohio Revised Code 1521.23–.29 – High-capacity well permits
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for Homeowner Information?
Check out our Ohio well guide for homeowners covering costs, permits, and water quality.
Ohio Homeowner Well Guide →Sources & References
All information in this guide is sourced from official Ohio regulatory documents and government websites. Links are provided inline throughout the guide where facts are cited.
Primary Sources:
- Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3701.344 – Contractor registration law
- Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Chapter 3701-28 – Construction standards
- OAC 3701-28-18 – Contractor registration rules
- ORC 1521.05 – Well log filing requirements
- OAC 3701-28-10 – Well construction, alteration and maintenance
- OAC 3701-28-07 – Setback requirements (Table 1)
- USGS – Arsenic in Ground Water in Selected Parts of Southwestern Ohio
- Ohio Water Well Association (OWWA)