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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".16" citation="COMAR 26.04.04.16" title_num="26" subtitle_num="04" chapter_num="04" heading="Construction Standards — General.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Sanitary Protection During Well Construction.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>During well construction, the permittee shall protect against pollution of the well and any water-bearing geologic formations by any cause, including surface water drainage.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Whenever construction ceases before the well is grouted, the open annular space shall be covered by the permittee and the well shall be capped.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Water for Well Construction.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Only water from a source approved by the Approving Authority in accordance with this section may be used in the construction and development of a well.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Water used for construction of a well shall be taken from the best source available to the well driller.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The best source, in order of preference, shall be:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>A public water supply system meeting the requirements of COMAR 26.04.01 for water quality;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Any other potable water supply;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>A nonpotable well;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>A temporary well, constructed specifically for the purposes of obtaining water for the construction of the well.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Water used for the construction or development of a well shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Have a turbidity of not more than 25 standard units, except when the turbidity is due to the oxidation of dissolved iron or manganese;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Be transported, when necessary, in tank trucks used only for the purpose of transporting drilling or potable water;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Be treated with chlorine in amounts indicated in §B(5) of this regulation;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Have a color of not more than 25 standard units; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Contain no objectionable odor.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Chlorine treatment required in §B(4)(c) of this regulation, shall be as follows:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>For water from a public supply approved under COMAR 26.04.01, a chlorine compound shall be added to the water to produce a free chlorine residual of at least 1.0 mg/l when delivered at the drilling site;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>For water from any other potable water supply, the free chlorine residual of at least 3.0 mg/l in the water delivered at the drilling site;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Water from a nonpotable well shall be dosed with chlorine to produce a minimum free chlorine residual of 50 mg/l.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Screening in More Than One Aquifer Prohibited. A well may not be screened in more than one aquifer.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Sealing-Off Strata. In order to preserve the quality of ground water, the Approving Authority may include a special condition in a well construction permit requiring that aquifers and other strata be sealed off.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Well Development. All wells shall be developed according to the following requirements:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Well development means the process whereby a well is pumped, surged, bailed, airlifted, swabbed or jetted to remove any material that may be blocking the well screen or fractures within the borehole;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Development shall continue until formation cuttings, drilling fluids, and additives are removed from the well;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>For wells in Hydrogeologic Areas 1 and 2, well development shall remove the fine sand, silt, and clay from the water-bearing zone surrounding the well screen;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Any hydrofracturing shall be performed in accordance with Regulation .28 of this chapter; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Every well shall be developed in order to obtain the full yield of the well and a water quality that meets all of the following requirements:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Contains less than 5 milligrams sand or larger sized particles per liter of water, where particles with a diameter between 0.0625 and 2.0 mm are considered to be sand; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Has a turbidity of less than 10 NTU (nephelometric turbidity unit) as determined by methods designated in 40 CFR §141.74(a)(1), except if the turbidity is due to the oxidation of dissolved iron or manganese naturally occurring in the water.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>