Driller's digest

              The Driller’s Digest
G.S. 87-98.12 provided an exemption from the continuing education requirement
for certified well contractors at least 70 years old who have been engaged in well
contractor activities for more than 20 years and have had no violations in the past 10
years.
G.S. 87-98.12 had a sunset date of Sept. 1, 2010, meaning the exemption is no longer
in effect after that date. Those who have relied upon it must now obtain continuing
education to renew their well contractor certification.
The deadline for earning continuing education units, or CEUs, is June 30 each year.
If you are new to earning continuing education units, do not wait until June to
begin looking. Effective May 1, 2011, six CEUs are required by all levels of certified
well contractors each year. Visit the N.C. Well Contractors Certification Commission’s
website at www.ncwelldriller.org, and click on “Continuing Education” for a list of pre-approved
classes and related forms.
Volume 13 | Spring/Summer Issue May | 2011
Visit the N.C. Well Contractors Certification
Commission’s website at
www.ncwelldriller.org
Published by the
N.C. Well Contractors Certification Commission
Continuing Education Exemption Ends
Counties Providing Continuing Education
Several county health departments
now offer continuing education
courses for well contractors each year.
Some of those that do are Guilford,
Wake, Chatham, Mecklenburg and the
Albemarle Regional Health District. If
you are looking for continuing education
opportunities in your area, try contacting
your local health department to see if
they are planning a class or encourage
them to start one.
Limited funding may be available from
the N.C. Well Contractors Certification
Commission for your county to provide
a class while keeping costs down for
attending certified well contractors. If a
county health department is interested
in seeking this assistance, have its staff
contact the NCWCCC staff at
(919)715-9135.
LEARN AND GROW
As many as six additional CEUs may be carried over into the next renewal year, so be sure to use this to your advantage.
The Driller’s Digest
Revision of N.C. Injection Well Construction Standards (15A NCAC 02C .0200)
By Thomas Slusser, Underground Injection Control manager,
NCDENR/Division of Water Quality
The N.C. Division of Water Quality has been in the process of revising the injection well regulations, which were last revised in 1997.
Stakeholder processes were conducted in the spring and summer of 2010, and the resulting proposed revisions were presented to the Environmental Management Commission in November 2010. The proposed revisions consist of organizational changes to make the rule easier to use, certain changes needed to comply with federal injection well regulations, addition of current standards of practice and expanded use of permitting by rule. Specifically, the proposed changes include:
• fully grouting the borehole of all closed-loop geothermal injection wells,
• permitting by rule all closed-loop geothermal injection wells, and
• permitting by rule injection wells associated with certain groundwater remediation strategies.
In early 2011, an economic analysis of the proposed rule revisions was prepared to quantify the costs and savings experienced by the public and private sectors that would result from the proposed rules. The economic analysis thus far indicates that the proposed rule revisions would result in an estimated total cost of approximately $250,000 per year and an estimated total savings of $1.3 million per year. The costs would come from proposed regulations that incorporate current standards of practice and the savings are associated with the increased use of permitting by rule and reduced reporting requirements.
In May 2011, the N.C. Division of Water Quality will request permission from the Environmental Management Commission to offer the proposed rules for public comment once the economic analysis is approved by the Office of State Budget and Management. Public hearings are anticipated to be conducted in the summer of 2011, and the proposed rules could become effective by late 2011 or early 2012.
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On-Site Water Protection Conference
The 27th Annual North Carolina State University On-Site Water Protection Conference will be held Oct. 11-13 at the N.C. State University McKimmon Center in Raleigh. This conference will include presentations about wells, soils and septic systems with the focus on protection of the groundwater resource.
The N.C. Well Contractors Certification Commission is looking into providing scholarships for North Carolina certified well contractors to cover the cost of conference registration. The conference will be submitting several topics for CEU credit pre-approval. Only a limited number of scholarships will be offered, and they will be only for North Carolina-certified well contractors. If you are interested, contact Joanne Rutkofske, environmental specialist for the commission, at (919) 715-9135.
More information about this conference can be found online at www.onsiteconferencenc.org.
Geothermal Licensing Agreement Reached
The NCWCCC and the N.C. State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors (Board) have reached an agreement regarding overlapping licensing requirements as they pertain to geothermal heating, ventilating and air conditioning, also known as HVAC, systems that use vertical loops. Trench systems are not included in this agreement because digging trenches is not a well contractor activity.
The loops are considered part of the HVAC system and thus require an H-2 or H-3 license holder to install them. Drilling the borehole and installation of the loops and specialty grout are also well contractor activities requiring certification as well contractor.
Effective Oct. 15, 2010, this agreement allows a North Carolina certified well contractor who has successfully completed International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, or IGSHPA, certification to install the geothermal loops (drill and grout the borehole, and install the piping in the borehole) without the H-2 or H-3 licensee present upon written agreement by both Wallet Card Photos Required
North Carolina Administrative Code Title 15A Chapter 27, Well Contractor Certification Rules, is being revised, effective May 1, as the last revision to these rules was made in 2008.
Just one of the many changes is the requirement that the commission have a photo on file for each certified contractor for their wallet card. If your photo is not on your current wallet card, this must be corrected before you can receive your new wallet card and complete the renewal process. The commission’s staff will be available at the following dates and locations to obtain photos if you have not yet complied with this requirement:
• June 8 – 2090 U.S. Hwy 70, Asheville; in the large conference room
(11 a.m. – noon)
• June 10 – 2728 Capital Blvd., Raleigh; Rm. 1B-103 (11 a.m. – noon)
• June 15 – 2728 Capital Blvd., Raleigh; Rm. 1B-103 (11 a.m. – noon)
• June 22 – 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington; in the hearing room
(11 a.m. – noon)
• June 24 – 2728 Capital Blvd., Raleigh; Rm. 1B-103 (11 a.m. – noon)
Wallet card photos are only one change. There are more changes in these rules. The changes affect continuing education, renewal of certification and disciplinary matters.
Take the time to read these rules
completely from beginning to end, and familiarize yourself with this latest edition. A copy of the revised Chapter 27 rules is being included with the renewal notice. You may also find the rules online at www.ncwelldriller.org, under “Rules.”
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parties. The agreement must specify the depth, diameter, material and thickness of the vertical piping and the number and location of wells necessary for the particular heating or cooling system by the H-2 or H-3 contractor or a licensed mechanical engineer.
Bidding on an HVAC job still requires an H-2 or H-3 licensee. The vertical loops portion of the project can then be subcontracted out to a North Carolina certified well contractor.
The full text of the memorandum of agreement between the Board and NCWCCC may be viewed online at: www.ncwelldriller.org, under “Rules.” related forms.
Remember, well contractors are allowed to carry as many as eight PDH into a renewal year as carry over. Be sure to use this to your advantage.
Summary of Civil Penalty Assessments
Penalties for violations of NCGS Chapter 87, Article 7 and 7A vary depending upon the particular facts and circumstances present in each case. Note: only finalized uncontested cases or cases not seeking remission and at the collection stage are included in this list. Payment of fines and corrections of violations may already have occurred.
Nothing to Report at This Time
WCCC Disciplinary Committee
Dennis Fair – Effective 2/1/11
For violations of Chapter 27 Well Contractor Certification Rules, the well contractor was given a 60-day suspension and required to earn an additional 24 professional development hours (PDH). The Driller’s Digest
Effective May 1, there are many changes to the continuing education requirements listed in the Chapter 27 Well Contractor Certification Rules. Below are just a few of those changes.
• The term professional development hours, also known as PDH, is being changed to the more common term, continuing education units, or CEU.
• A CEU is also more clearly defined as equivalent to 60 minutes of instructional time. Only instructional time is counted, not breaks.
• The eight PDH requirement has been dropped to six CEU, with carry-over hours also being reduced to six.
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Continuing Education
Requirements Changing
• First Aid, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Mine Safety, and Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Refresher classes may only be approved for CEU credit in odd-numbered certification periods. For example, the period of July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, is the “2011” certification period. Therefore, you will be able to use these courses taken during that time toward your recertification requirement.
• All courses must be pre-approved at least 30 days prior to the course date.
• Course approvals apply to the particular class submitted. Therefore, make sure all dates and locations for a course meet the requirement of being held during that certification period and are listed on the pre-approval request form.
• Course approvals expire June 30. If the same course will be held again in the next certification period, submit a separate request form for those dates.
Please take the time to read the revised rules as there are other changes that will be of interest to you.
Grout Compatibility With Chlorides
By David May, regional supervisor, DWQ/Washington Regional Office
To provide adequate long-term protection of wells and groundwater resources, chloride levels should be taken into consideration for all well types, whether water supply, monitoring or geothermal. Even though closed-loop geothermal wells do not serve as a water supply, the type of grout selected for use in those applications must still provide long term integrity and take chloride levels into consideration, especially in coastal areas.
Bentonite grout is an effective form of grout for sealing the annular space around well casings. The 2C Well Construction Standards allow for use of bentonite slurry and bentonite chips or pellets in certain applications, with grout emplacement methods being specified. While use of bentonite grout may offer advantages over cement- or concrete-based grouts in certain cases, its use may not be appropriate at all times, such as conditions where elevated chloride levels are present. Elevated chloride concentrations can lead to premature failure of bentonite grout, leaving wells and groundwater resources vulnerable to impacts.
While manufacturer specifications may provide guidance on appropriate product use, the 2C rules specify that bentonite grout shall not be used to seal zones of water with a chloride concentration of 1,500 milligrams per liter or greater. High chloride levels may be found across the state but should especially be anticipated in coastal areas where levels above 1,500 mg/L frequently occur.
In areas where elevated chloride concentrations are anticipated, appropriate action should be taken to ensure that the chosen grout type is compatible with conditions at the site. Prior to grouting a well, field measurements or other testing may be necessary to properly characterize site conditions. In cases where chloride levels are of concern, use of cement- or concrete-based grouts can be a practical alternative.
You may wish to consult further with regional Division of Water Quality Aquifer Protection Section staff or grout manufacturers regarding use of bentonite grout where elevated chloride concentrations are anticipated. May | 2011
North Carolina Well Contractors Certification Commission
1653 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1653
Telephone: (919) 715-9134 Fax: (919) 715-9433
Please Note – The Well Contractors Certification Office moved November 15. Please note our new address and phone number. Contact information is also posted on www.ncwelldriller.orgThe Driller’s Digest
Volume 13 | Spring/Summer
Commission Members
Tom Ammons, NCWC– Red Springs
Casey Champion, REHS, NCWC— Oxford
Chris Dickey, NCWC, Vice Chairman – Murphy
Paul Weller – Rougemont
Carl Parsons, REHS– Greensboro
John Boyette, Jr., NCWC, – Wilson
John Nykamp, REHS, NCWC, Chairman – Greensboro
WCCC Staff
(N.C. Division of Environmental Health)
Lora McKinney Lora.McKinney@ncdenr.gov (919) 715-9134
(renewal and application payments, meetings, oral exams, general information)
Drew Morgan, REHS Andrew.Morgan@ncdenr.gov (919) 715-9136
(enforcement, Level A field observation, applications)
Joanne Rutkofske Joanne.Rutkofske@ncdenr.gov (919) 715-9135
(continuing education, website, rulemaking, contracts, exam review)
Ted Lyon Ted.Lyon@ncdenr.gov (919) 715-3274
(supervisor)
Certification Numbers Update
Total number certified • • • • • • • 1,363
Total number of applicants for certification 80
Certifications currently suspended • • • • 0
N.C. Division of
Water Quality
Aquifer Protection Section
http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/aps
Asheville• • • • • • • • • • 828-296-4500
Fayetteville• • • • • • • • • 910-433-3300
Mooresville• • • • • • • • • 704-663-1699
Raleigh• • • • • • • • • • • 919-791-4200
Washington• • • • • • • • 252-946-6481
Wilmington• • • • • • • • • 910-796-7215
Winston-Salem • • • • • 336-771-5000
N.C. Division of Environmental Health
On-Site Water Protection Section Private Well Branch
http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/osww
Western Regional Specialist
John Brooks • • • • • • • 828-713-3355
Northern Regional Specialist
Wilson Mize• • • • • • • • 919-218-5383
Southern Regional Specialist
David Eudy • • • • • • • • 919-218-7867
(A map of the Private Well Branch’s regional staff can be found online at: www.ncwelldriller.org under “County Programs”.)
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Online at: www.ncwelldriller.org
Report uncertified well contractors to the local health department, or call (919) 715-9136.
1,500 copies of this document were printed at a cost of $262.35 or $0.18 each. • Published by the N.C. Well Contractors Certification Commission