Groundwater/UIC Program 

 

      The Division of Water and Waste Management's Groundwater/UIC Program coordinates the groundwater protection efforts of the Bureau for Public Health, the Department of Agriculture, and various DEP programs under the authority of the 1991 Groundwater Protection Act and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Groundwater/UIC Program has 7 main responsibilities:

Underground Injection Control (UIC)

Septic Tank Seal Registration

Groundwater Remediation

Monitoring Well Driller Certification

Groundwater Protection Plans

Monitoring Well Construction/Abandonment

Groundwater Variances

Groundwater Guidance Documents and Forms
Program Contacts  
Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program
       The Underground Injection Control (UIC) program is designed to ensure that fluids injected underground will not endanger drinking water sources. The Division of Water and Waste Management regulates Class 5 wells. These wells include agriculture drainage wells, improved sinkholes, industrial disposal wells,stormwater wells and septic systems that have the capacity to serve 20 or more people.  The following state codes address UIC regulations; 47CSR9, 47CSR13 and 47CSR55.  The Division of Mining and Reclamation oversees all mining UIC permits. 
For questions about Industrial UIC and Stormwater UIC permits contact
Don Criss, Geologist
(304)354-0474
Don.R.Criss@wv.gov

For questions about Sewage UIC permits contact
Connie Anderson, Environmental Resources Specialist
(304)926-0499 ext. 1059
Connie.J.Anderson@wv.gov 
 For applications and support documents CLICK HERE. 
Groundwater Remediation Program
   The Groundwater Program's Remediation Program is directly involved with the remediation of sites containing contaminated groundwater and soil. As of January 2006, these sites total nearly 200, and include rail yards, factories, refineries, fuel bulk terminals, above-ground fuel tanks, and spills; contaminants range from gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and chlorinated solvents, to materials such as cow manure. Often, the Groundwater Program is the sole DEP office in charge of site; however, the Program frequently works in conjunction with other DEP offices, such as Environmental Enforcement or the Permitting Section. Sometimes, the Program only provides advice to another DEP office or Federal agency. In general, the Groundwater Program's remedial sites do not fit under the authority of any other DEP agency and the Program is the last recourse for remediation within the DEP system.
    Authority for the Program's remedial work is 47CSR12, “Requirements Regarding Groundwater Standards.” Although this authority applies to groundwater, the Program often works to remediate or remove contaminated soils, as the ground water contamination (or the potential for groundwater contamination) cannot be completely abated without such soil work.
    For additional information regarding groundwater remediation contact George Dasher, Geologist, (304)926-0499 ext. 1074 or George.R.Dasher@wv.gov. 
Groundwater Protection Plans
    Groundwater Protection Plans (GPPs) are required for all facilities having the potential to impact groundwater. They are “preventive maintenance” documents that cover all processes and materials at a facility that “may reasonably be expected” to have an effect on groundwater quality. The facility must make an inventory of all potentially contaminating processes and materials, and have structures and practices in place to prevent groundwater contamination from these processes and materials. Groundwater protection practices include, at a minimum, quarterly inspections and maintenance by facility personnel and usually include spill cleanup procedures.  Regulations for how to prepare and implement a GPP are found in 47CSR58.
    For additional information regarding GPPs contact Bill Timmermeyer (304)926-0499 ext.1336 or William.F.Timmermeyer@wv.gov
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Groundwater Variances
    Variances may be granted by the Legislature to allow exceedance of groundwater quality standards for a single source or class of sources, which, by their nature, cannot be conducted in compliance with the requirements of W. Va. Code 22-12-5, "Groundwater Protection Act". The benefits of granting the variance must outweigh the benefit of complying with existing groundwater quality standards and the applicant must demonstrate that there is no technologically feasible alternative. The request for a variance must also show that the variance is more in the public interest than is adherence to existing groundwater quality standards.  The regulations for groundwater variances may be found in 47CSR57.
    For additional information regarding groundwater variances contact Bill Timmermeyer (304)926-0499 ext. 1336 or William.F.Timmermeyer@wv.gov
Septic Tank Seal Registration
    Septic Tank Registration Seal Fees are required by any person/company who obtains a small sewage disposal installation permit. The owner of the septic system is required to pay a $30.00 registration fee for each tank in the system and to complete the septic tank registration form found in the “Septic Systems Registration Fees” pamphlet. DWWM collects the fees and registration forms. After submitting the payment and the completed registration form, the tank owner is responsible for purchasing the seal and ensuring that it is attached to the Small Sewage Disposal permit within 60 days of receipt from the county Health Department. County Health Departments do not issue the seals. The seals are valid for the life of the tanks.  The regulations for septic tank seals may be found in 47CSR55.
    For additional information regarding Septic Tank Seal Registration please contact  Judy Lupson, (304)926-0499 ext. 1022, Judy.Lupson@wv.gov or Ellen Herndon (304-926-0499 ext. 1600, Ellen.R.Herndon@wv.gov
Monitoring Well Drillers Program
    As of March 1, 1997, all monitoring well drillers are required to be certified to operate in West Virginia (47CSR59). A monitoring well is any cased excavation or opening into the ground made by digging, boring, drilling, driving, jetting, or other methods for the purpose of determining the physical, chemical, biological, or radiological properties of groundwater. This definition includes piezometers and observation wells which are to be installed for purposes other than those listed above, but does not include wells whose primary purpose is to provide a supply of potable water. A monitoring well driller is the individual operating the drilling rig when operating, constructing, altering, or abandoning a monitoring well.
    To become a certified monitoring well driller, an individual must meet experience requirements and pass a written exam. The examination is free; however, individuals are charged an annual $200 recertification fee. The one-day certification training and testing sessions are presented quarterly in Charleston and are conducted by the state's Bureau for Public Health's Office of Environmental Health Services. Information on testing and training dates, eligibility requirements, and testing application can be obtained from the Office of Environmental Health Services web page:http://www.wvdhhr.org/oehs/eed/swap/training&certification/monwell/  Underground Storage Tank (UST) installers may apply the monitoring well drillers' training and certification session toward continuing education requirements. The training has been approved for 8 hours each for UST Class A and Class C.
    For additional information regarding the Monitoring Well Drillers Program please contact:
             Tonya Ombler
             (304) 926-0499 ext. 1132 
            Tonya.K.Ombler@wv.gov
 
Monitoring Well Construction and Monitoring Well Abandonment forms are available in packs of 25 triplicate forms at a cost of $50 per pack.  These may be ordered by sending check or money order to:
            WV DEP
            Attn:  Tonya Ombler, Groundwater Program
            601 57th Street SE
            Charleston, WV  25304
Or, call our Accounting Section at (304) 926-0499 ext. 4888 to pay by credit card (Visa/Mastercard only).  Please indicate payment is for purchasing MW Abandonment or Construction forms.

Monitoring Well Driller List
    The regulations for the certification of monitoring well drillers and monitoring well installations and alterations are found at 47CSR59.  Title 47 Series 60 established the minimum acceptable documentation and standards for the design, installation, construction and abandonment of monitoring wells and for the abandonment of all boreholes.
    This area is the starting point for filling out an online Monitoring Well Construction or Abandonment document. If you are interested in completing your documentation online, please follow the procedures below. Only those individuals who are already licensed well drillers may participate in this program.
 * If you have never registered for a login and password, do so now by clicking the following link. Request user login.
 * Once your information has been verified, you will be issued a login to the system.
 * Once your login has been assigned, you will be notified of your user id and password.
 * You will then have access to complete your monitoring well construction and abandonment documentation online.
If you have your user name and password, then click HERE to begin the program.

For additional information regarding monitoring well construction and/or abandonment contact Dustin Holmes at (304)926-0499 ext 1294 or Dustin.D.Holmes@wv.gov.

Guidance Documents

Forms and Reports
Above Ground Storage Tank (AST) Guidance Document UIC Industrial Permit Application
Groundwater Protection Plan (GPP) Guidance Document UIC Industrial/Commercial Permit Application
GPP Guidance for Construction and Demolition UIC Sewage Permit Application
GPP Guidance for Small Business Stormwater Management Structure Operation and Maintenance Inspection Sheet
Stormwater Management Structure Guidance Document 2002 Biennial Groundwater Report to the Legislature
Groundwater Remediation Program Guidance Document 2004 Biennial Groundwater Report to the Legislature
Groundwater Sampling Procedures 2006 Biennial Groundwater Report to the Legislature
Guidance for Sinkhole Mitigation 2008 Biennial Groundwater Report to the Legislature
Inspector Check-off List for Monitoring Wells 2010 Biennial Groundwater Report to the Legislature

 

2012 Biennial Groundwater Report to the Legislature
For more information about the Groundwater and UIC Programs you may contact the individuals listed below.
William F. Timmermeyer, Program Manager Groundwater/UIC Programs (304)926-0499 x 1336 William.F.Timmermeyer@wv.gov
Danny Wandling, UIC Inspector Non-mining UIC Permits (304)389-7622 Danny.R.Wandling@wv.gov
John Poindexter, UIC Inspector Non-mining UIC Permits (304)926-0499 x1053 John.C.Poindexter@wv.gov
 Vacant, Geologist Groundwater Protection Plans, Groundwater Variances (304)926-0499
George Dasher, Geologist Groundwater Remediation  (304)926-0499 x1074 George.R.Dasher@wv.gov
Don Criss, Geologist Industrial/Stormwater UIC Permits (304)354-0474 Don.R.Criss@wv.gov
Connie Anderson, Env. Resources Specialist Sewage UIC Permits (304)926-0499 x1059 Connie.J.Anderson@wv.gov
Ellen Herndon, Env.Resources Specialist Septic Tank Seal Registrations (304)926-0499 x1600 Ellen.R.Herndon@wv.gov
Judy Lupson Septic Tank Seal Registrations (304)926-0499 x1022 Judy.Lupson@wv.gov
Tonya Ombler, Office Assistant Monitoring Well Drillers Program (304)926-0499 x 1132 Tonya.K.Ombler@wv.gov
Dustin Holmes, Env. Resources Specialist Monitoring Well Construction/Abandonment (304)926-0499 x1294 Dustin.D.Holmes@wv.gov

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