Forms & Resources
Required for every completed well. Due within 60 days.
Must include: lithology, casing/screen details, seal intervals, yield data, GPS location, water right number (if any), disinfection method.
Download Form ↗Required when abandoning/plugging a well. Due within 60 days.
Must detail: date, location, casing removal/perforation depths, backfill materials, grout used, certifications.
Download Form ↗All OWRB Forms
- Well Completion Report: Required for all completed wells (electronic or hardcopy)
- Plugging Report: Required for well abandonment
- Notice of Intent to Drill: Required for non-domestic wells (commercial, irrigation >3 acres)
- Well Registration Form (Form 256): For older wells or updates
- License Application: Initial and renewal applications
- Variance Application: For exceptions to construction standards
Licensing Requirements
Oklahoma requires licensed drillers and pump installers per OAC 785:35-3-1 (five license categories).
License Fees
License Categories
Application Requirements
- Experience: 2 years qualifying experience (up to 1 year may be substituted with related education)
- Verification: 2 verification letters from licensed drillers/employers
- Residency: Oklahoma residents (90-day minimum) or reciprocity for non-residents
- Exam: Pass category exam with 70% score (exam fee: $50)
- Operator Certification: Each licensee must have at least one certified operator (1 year experience)
- Equipment: Firm must list all drilling rigs on application
Renewal Requirements
- Cycle: Biennial (2 years). Odd-numbered licenses expire in odd years; even in even years
- Deadline: Renewal due by May 31 in expiration year. Grace period to June 30
- CE Required: 4 units per year (8 units per 2-year cycle; 50 minutes = 1 unit)
- Mandatory Topic: At least 1 unit on Oklahoma water-well rules/regulations
- Late Renewals: Late fees apply after May 31. Military service may waive penalties
Continuing Education
All licensed drillers and operators must earn at least 4 CE units per year (8 units per 2-year renewal cycle). One unit must cover Oklahoma water-well rules and regulations.
Approved Providers: OWRB and Oklahoma Ground Water Association (OGWA) offer free, pre-approved CE courses. Other providers may request OWRB approval for course credit.
Record Retention: Keep CE certificates for 1 year after the course date for audit purposes.
Reporting & Documentation
Completion Report Requirements
The well completion report must include:
- Borehole lithology (formation descriptions by depth)
- Water-bearing zones encountered
- Casing sizes, materials, and depths
- Screen intervals and specifications
- Grouting/sealing information (materials, depths, methods)
- Yield data (pump test results if conducted)
- GPS location (latitude/longitude)
- Water right number (if applicable)
- Proximity to pollution sources
- Disinfection method used (100 mg/L Cl, 2+ hrs contact)
- Driller/operator certification
Construction Standards (OAC 785:35-7-1)
Casing Requirements
- Materials: New or sanitary steel, high-density PVC (SDR ≤26), or fiberglass
- PVC: Must be NSF/ANSI-certified (ASTM F480)
- Steel: New ASTM-A53, minimum Schedule 10
- Height: Top of production casing must extend ≥12″ above ground (≥8″ above floor)
- Flood-prone areas: Extend ≥24″ above maximum flood level
- Joints: All casing joints must be watertight
Annular Seal (Grouting)
- Minimum depth: 10 ft continuous surface seal required (all instances beginning July 1)
- Materials: Cement or cement/bentonite grout (or 5 ft bentonite + 5 ft cement)
- Surface seal: Grouted from land surface down ≥10 ft (or deeper to impermeable strata)
- 2 ft cement top barrier: Required at surface
- Surface completion: Minimum 4-inch thick slab, 2 ft from casing, sloped to drain
- Pitless adapter: Grout from 10 ft below junction up to near surface
- Mix: Follow ASTM/publisher guidelines, prevent bridging in annular space
Setback Requirements
Note: Setback distances may vary based on slope/terrain. Upgradient/downgradient sources may require 75-100 ft for feedlots. Reduced setbacks allowed for non-potable wells with extended sealing.
Disinfection (Mandatory)
All drilling fluid and makeup water must be potable or pre-chlorinated (≥0.5 mg/L Cl₂).
After construction: All new, reconditioned, or repaired wells for human consumption must be disinfected before service. Achieve ≥100 mg/L chlorine concentration throughout the well; maintain for ≥2 hours before flushing. Flush until chlorine odor is removed.
(Unless owner signs written waiver declining disinfection)
Well Development
After reaching water, wells must be "developed" by surging/pumping to clear sediment, drill cuttings, and drilling mud. This ensures clean water and optimal well performance.
Permits
OWRB Drilling Permits (Notice of Intent)
No OWRB permit or "Notice of Intent" required for:
- Single household use
- Livestock irrigation ≤3 acres
Action: Proceed with drilling immediately after hiring licensed driller.
OWRB "Notice of Intent" authorization required before drilling:
- Public supply wells
- Industrial/commercial wells
- Irrigation >3 acres
- Oilfield/medical grow operations
Timeline: ~5 business days for OWRB authorization PIN.
Groundwater Use Permits (High-Capacity Wells)
All non-domestic water uses require an OWRB Groundwater Use Permit before drilling. In general, irrigation of >3 acres or any commercial/intended use beyond household/livestock (≤3 acres) needs a permit.
- Requirements: Land ownership, overlying fresh basin, beneficial use, no impairment of existing rights
- Allocation: Typically 2 acre-feet/year per acre (subject to local yield studies)
- Long-term permits: Require publication notice, may be protested (hearing if contested)
- Temporary permits: 90-day provisional permits available for drilling/fracking water (issued by Executive Director without notice)
Special Well Types
- Geothermal/closed-loop heat-exchange: Requires OWRB Category 4 license. Follow same grouting rules (prevent cross-connection with aquifers).
- Monitoring wells: Category 2 license required. Standard reporting procedures, no additional monitoring-well permits.
- Geotechnical borings: Category 2 license. Report submissions required.
Drilling Conditions by Region
- Aquifers: High Plains (Ogallala), Rush Springs sandstones
- Geology: Fine to coarse sand, some silica-cemented zones
- Typical depths: 800–1,000+ ft for irrigation; 200–400 ft domestic
- Yields: 50–500 gpm (irrigation wells)
- Challenges: Deep drilling, hard cemented zones, dropping water tables
- Aquifers: Garber-Wellington, Ada-Vamoosa (Permian red beds)
- Geology: Arkosic sandstone, conglomerate, iron-rich
- Typical depths: Domestic <300 ft; municipal 600–800 ft
- Yields: Modest flows unless deep (often artesian in confined zones)
- Challenges: Arsenic in deeper zones, caving shales, iron deposits
- Aquifers: Ozark Plateau, Arbuckle-Simpson carbonates
- Geology: Limestone-dolomite with karst channels
- Typical depths: Few hundred feet into limestone
- Yields: Vary widely (some very high, often artesian)
- Challenges: Karst features (caverns, sinkholes), variable yields
- Hard rock: Limestone, chert, cemented sandstone (slow drilling, bit wear)
- Artesian conditions: Confined aquifers (require heavy casing, blowout prevention)
- Unconsolidated zones: Sands/gravels (may require mud or temporary casing)
- Iron/rust deposits: Can foul pumps and equipment
- Seasonal factors: Spring rains (flooding), summer (lower water tables)
Special Requirements
Arsenic Advisory Zones
Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington aquifer):
The Norman/Meeker area (Cleveland County) and parts of Oklahoma/Canadian counties have naturally high arsenic levels. USGS studies found arsenic up to 200+ µg/L in deep Norman wells (about half of city wells exceeded the 10 µg/L standard).
Requirements: OWRB rules require extra sealing in "contaminated" areas. Extend casing through arsenic-bearing strata and cement tightly above them. OAC 785:35-7-1(a) demands "more stringent" standards in contamination areas.
Other Contamination Zones
- Tar Creek (NE Oklahoma): Lead-zinc mining Superfund area. Extra precautions for mine discharge.
- Saltwater intrusion zones: Counties with oil/gas activity. Avoid contaminated zones.
Consult OWRB if well is near any known contaminant plume or mining site. OAC 785:35-7-1(a) requires meeting or exceeding minimum seal depths in contamination areas.
Wellhead Protection Areas
Oklahoma DEQ administers source-water protection for public systems. While there is no absolute drilling ban in wellhead-protection zones, drillers must avoid contaminating protected supplies.
Check DEQ's Source Water Protection (SWP) maps to see if site falls in a protection area. Contact DEQ Capacity Development: 405-702-8100 or DEQ.CapDev@deq.ok.gov.
Resources & Contacts
Regulatory References
- OAC 785:35-7-1 – Minimum standards for construction of groundwater wells
- OAC 785:35-5-3 – Requirements for completion and plugging reports
- OAC 785:35-3-1 – Licensing procedures (five categories)
- OWRB Water Permits – Groundwater appropriation
- OWRB Forms & Guidance – All official forms and applications
Professional Associations
- Oklahoma Ground Water Association (OGWA): State trade group for drillers/pumpers. Holds CE classes and annual conference. www.okgroundwater.org
- National Ground Water Association (NGWA): Technical standards and networking.www.ngwa.org
- Oklahoma Rural Water Association (ORWA): Training/resources for water systems. 405-672-8925, orwa.org
Frequently Asked Questions
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