Forms & Resources
Start Card (Construction Notice)
Required 72 hours before drilling. Fee: $350
E-File Start Card ↗Well Report (Well Log)
Required within 30 days after completion.
Submit Well Report ↗Electronic Filing Mandatory: As of July 1, 2024, start cards and well reports must be filed electronically through OWRD's online portal unless prior approval is obtained.
Key Documents
- Start Card: Construction notice (72 hrs prior, $350 fee)
- Well Report (Log): Construction details, lithology, casing, grouting (30 days)
- Abandonment Report: Plugging and sealing details (30 days)
- Injurious Water Report: If contaminated water encountered during drilling
- License Renewal Form: Online or mail-in ($150, due June 30)
Licensing Requirements
Oregon requires licensed water well constructors per ORS 537.753 and OAR 690-205-0005.
License Requirements
- Age ≥18
- Pass state exam ($20 fee, given quarterly in Salem)
- Document ≥1 year (36-month) experience operating drilling rigs on ≥15 wells
- Demonstrate arc-welding proficiency (AWS or equivalent)
- Exam valid for 3 years if passed but lacking experience (Trainee Card issued)
License Fees
Continuing Education
CE Record Keeping
Retain CE certificates and provide documentation if audited per OAR 690-205-0055. Courses must be pre-approved by the Well Constructors CE Committee.
Reporting & Documentation
Well Log Requirements
The well log must include (per OAR 690-205-0210):
- Owner name, exact location (GPS, TRS, address)
- Dates of drilling and completion
- Depth and lithology (detailed formation descriptions)
- Water-bearing zones encountered
- Casing sizes, materials, and depths
- Grouting/sealing information (method, depth, materials)
- Pump test data (if conducted)
- Static water level and yield
Contaminated Water
If you encounter contaminated or mineralized water during drilling, you must case off and seal the zone to prevent commingling. File an Injurious Water Report with OWRD.
Construction Standards (OAR 690-210)
Casing Materials
Annular Seal (Grouting)
- All annular spaces must be fully grouted from bottom to land surface
- Approved methods: pressure cement grout or bentonite
- Unconsolidated sands: Full-depth borehole at least 4″ oversize to 18 ft depth, pack gravel, then grout annulus to surface
- Clay-bearing soils: Casing must extend ≥5 ft into clay (or 18 ft if clay is shallower); annulus grouted to that level
- Consolidated rock: Casing must be set ≥5 ft into sound bedrock
- Surface completion: Minimum 4-inch thick slab, 2 ft from casing, sloped to drain
Critical Rule
Any aquifer yielding bad water (contaminated or mineralized) must be cased off and sealed so it cannot commingle with good zones. This is mandatory per OAR 690-210.
Setback Requirements
Disinfection
- All pumping equipment, sand, gravel, and casing must be rinsed and pre-disinfected with ≥50 ppm chlorine before placement
- Upon completion, flood well with chlorine so that 25 ppm residual remains after 24 hours
- Tools and well interiors must be oil/grease-free
- After pump installation, re-discharge with chlorine before placing in service
Permits
Water Rights
Oregon differentiates exempt and permit groundwater uses (ORS 537.545):
- Exempt: Single domestic use up to 15,000 gallons/day (roughly 10 acre-ft/year); serves up to 3 homes
- Permit required: High-capacity, municipal, industrial, or irrigation wells exceeding exempt limits
- Permit applications filed with OWRD regional office (often requiring hydrogeologic report and pump test)
Special-Purpose Drilling
- Monitoring Wells: Licensed Monitoring Well Constructor required; start card ($350) and well log
- Geothermal Wells: Regulated by DOGAMI Mineral Land Reclamation permits + OWRD water-right permits
- Geotechnical Holes: Deep test holes require start card and fee; shallow soil probes exempt
Drilling Conditions by Region
Western Oregon
Geology: Fractured volcanic and sedimentary rock (shale, basalt, sandstone)
- Typical depths: 50–300 ft
- Shallow wells encounter logjammed soils and gravels
- Casing needed to prevent caving
- Higher contamination risk (surface water intrusion)
Willamette Valley
Geology: Deep soils over basalt; gravel/sand aquifers or basalt flows
- Typical depths: 100–300 ft
- Glacial clays and dense sand/gravel (abrasive)
- Deep hood screens often needed
- Bacteria and nitrate concerns in developed areas
Eastern Oregon
Geology: Columbia River Basalt flows; basin-fill sediments
- Typical depths: 300–600+ ft (some exceed 1,000 ft)
- Hard basalt requires heavy-duty HSA drilling
- Lost-circulation zones and blowouts possible
- Many artesian (pressurized) wells
- High dissolved minerals (iron, manganese, arsenic)
Coast Range & Cascades
Geology: Fractured volcanic and metamorphic rock
- Typical depths: 200–400+ ft
- Fractured rock wells with variable yield
- Seasonal recharge variations
- High rainfall, shallow water tables
Seasonal Considerations
Winter drilling requires dewatering and anti-freeze precautions. Spring brings high water tables (snowmelt), requiring careful well development. Irrigation seasons can drop levels in shallow wells. Frost depths can reach several feet in cold/high areas.
Special Zones & Requirements
Arsenic Advisory Areas
Certain regions have naturally high arsenic in groundwater. Notable hotspots:
- Sweet Home/Linn County: ~25% of wells above 10 ppb EPA limit
- Tualatin Basin (NW Portland metro): Elevated arsenic in some wells
- Cottage Grove/Creswell (Lane County): Known arsenic occurrences
- Eastern Oregon (Ontario area): Arid basins with arsenic
Ensure tight seals and proper disinfection. Recommend arsenic testing to homeowners in these areas.
Nitrate-Contaminated Areas
- Lower Umatilla Basin (Morrow/Umatilla counties): Designated Groundwater Management Area since 1990
- Irrigated farmland and livestock areas (Klamath Basin, Mid/Blue Mountains)
- Recommend annual nitrate testing for wells in agricultural regions
Wellhead Protection Areas
Wellhead Protection Areas around public supply wells have restricted land use. Consult Oregon Health Authority's Source Water Protection maps and county plans when siting wells near municipalities or known pollutant sources.
Resources & Contacts
Regulatory References
- ORS 537.505-537.795 – Oregon Groundwater Act
- OAR 690-205 – Well constructor licensing rules
- OAR 690-210 – Well construction standards
- OAR 690-220 – Well abandonment rules
Frequently Asked Questions
Renew online through OWRD before June 30 of even years. Fee is $150 for a 2-year term. You must complete 14 CE hours (including 2 hours on Oregon law/rules) before renewal. Late renewal within 12 months incurs a $100 penalty.
14 hours every 2 years, including a minimum of 2 hours on Oregon groundwater statutes/rules (ORS 537.505-795; OAR 690-200 through 690-240). Up to 8 credits may be safety/health related (max 4 CPR/first aid, 4 hazmat). Courses must be pre-approved by OWRD CE Committee.
Within 30 days after completion. Submit electronically to OWRD (mandatory as of July 2024). Provide copies to the well owner and retain one for your records. The log must include depth, lithology, casing details, grouting, and pump test data.
100 ft from septic drainfields, 50 ft from septic tanks, 50 ft from roof runoff/manure, 25 ft from residential fuel tanks (50 ft commercial), and 500 ft from hazardous waste sites (with permission). Minimum distances per OAR 690-210-0030.
Each start card costs $350 (as of July 2024). The start card must be submitted electronically to OWRD at least 72 hours (3 days) before beginning work. A separate start card is required for each well or boring.
Looking for Homeowner Information?
Check out our Oregon well guide for homeowners covering costs, permits, and water quality.
Oregon Homeowner Well Guide →