NR 815.06 Note
Note: Use of a well to place a hazardous waste underground is prohibited as specified in s.
NR 665.0430. Use of a well to place municipal or domestic wastewater underground is prohibited as specified in s.
NR 206.07 (2) (d). Use of a well to place a pollutant underground is prohibited as specified in s.
NR 214.04 (3).
NR 815.06(2)
(2) Construction of a class II injection well or use of a well as a class II injection well.
NR 815.06(3)
(3) Construction of a class III injection well or use of a well as a class III injection well.
NR 815.06(4)
(4) Construction of a class IV injection well or use of a well as a class IV injection well, unless the well is to be used to reinject treated contaminated groundwater back into the formation from which the groundwater was drawn and is approved by the department as part of a remedial action necessary for the cleanup of soil or groundwater contamination as specified in s.
NR 665.0430 (2) NR 815.06 Note
Note: Injection for remediation purposes requires a written approval from the department in order to meet the requirements of ss.
NR 140.28 (5) and
812.05. Injection requires a written exemption be granted under s.
NR 140.28 (5). Injection of groundwater that meets the definition of hazardous waste or contains a hazardous waste for remediation purposes requires a written approval under s.
NR 665.0430 (2).
NR 815.06(5)
(5) Construction of a class V injection well or use of a well as a class V injection well without the approval of the department, or other designated regulatory agency as specified in subch.
IV, unless the construction or use of the class V injection well is specifically allowed by administrative rule. The following activities are allowed:
NR 815.06(5)(a)
(a) Circulation of water or food-grade heat exchange fluid through a closed-loop heat pump system in a drillhole.
NR 815.06(5)(b)
(b) Construction of a structure such as, but not limited to, a building foundation, support footing, elevator shaft, lift station, utility conduit, sump, mine shaft or equipment vault.
NR 815.06(5)(c)
(c) Placement of a solid object such as, but not limited to, a cathodic protection device, coffin, piling, pole or post.
NR 815.06(5)(d)
(d) Horticultural or agricultural practices, other than those activities that involve the use of a well or drillhole for the placement of a waste material or drainage water underground.
NR 815.06(5)(e)
(e) Injection activities conducted in conjunction with placement of backfill into an underground nonferrous metallic mine approved under ch.
NR 132 or in connection with placement of backfill into an underground ferrous mine approved under subch.
III of ch. 295, Stats.
NR 815.06 Note
Note: Use of any unauthorized injection well is prohibited under federal law, as specified in
40 CFR 144.11.
NR 815.06(6)
(6) Operation, maintenance, conversion, plugging, closure or any other alteration of an injection well in a manner that results in a violation of the provisions of ch.
160, Stats., or otherwise results in the endangerment of an underground source of drinking water.
NR 815.06 Note
Note: Endangerment of an underground source of drinking water is prohibited under federal law, as specified in
40 CFR 144.12.
NR 815.06(7)
(7) Construction or use of a large-capacity cesspool.
NR 815.06 Note
Note: Use of a large-capacity cesspool is prohibited under federal law, as specified in
40 CFR 144.85. Use of any cesspool is prohibited as specified in ch.
SPS 383.
NR 815.06(8)
(8) Construction or use of a new injection well to disperse or otherwise discharge a fluid containing a waste from motorized vehicle repair or maintenance activities underground.
NR 815.06 Note
Note: Construction or use of an injection well to dispose of fluids containing wastes from motorized vehicle repair or maintenance activities was prohibited as of April 5, 2000, as specified in
40 CFR 144.85. Any subsurface fluid distribution system constructed prior to this date which continues to be used to dispose of wastes from motorized vehicle repair or maintenance activities must comply with the land treatment provisions of s.
NR 214.16 or it is prohibited. The discharge of waste fluids from motorized vehicle repair or maintenance activities to any other well is prohibited.
NR 815.06(9)
(9) Construction or use of an improved sinkhole to place drainage water, wastewater or any other fluid containing a pollutant or substance underground.
NR 815.06 History
History: CR 01-104: cr.
Register October 2004 No. 586, eff. 11-1-04; correction in (4) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register November 2010 No. 659;
CR 13-057: am. (5) (e)
Register July 2015 No. 715, eff. 8-1-15.
NR 815.07
NR 815.07 Approval of injection wells. NR 815.07(1)(1)
A regulatory agency may not approve the construction or use of a class I, II or III injection well.
NR 815.07(2)
(2) Subject to the limitation contained in sub.
(4), the department may only approve the construction or use of a class IV injection well, if the well is to be used to reinject treated contaminated groundwater back into the formation from which the groundwater was withdrawn and is approved by the department as part of a remedial action necessary for the cleanup of soil or groundwater contamination.
NR 815.07(3)
(3) Subject to the limitation contained in sub.
(4), a regulatory agency may approve a class V injection well as specified in subch.
IV.
NR 815.07(4)
(4) A regulatory agency may not approve the construction or use of any injection well that would violate the provisions of ch.
160, Stats., result in the endangerment of an underground source of drinking water or otherwise fail to comply with the other applicable requirements of this chapter.
NR 815.07 Note
Note: Section
160.19 (4), Stats., prohibits a state regulatory agency from promulgating a rule defining design and management practice criteria that permits a preventive action limit to be attained or exceeded in groundwater except as allowed under s.
160.19 (2), Stats. A state regulatory agency may not promulgate a rule defining design and management practice criteria that permits an enforcement standard to be attained or exceeded at the point of standards application.
NR 815.07 Note
Note: Endangerment, as it applies to Class V injection wells that are not prohibited under subchapter III, is any exceedance of an enforcement standard established under ch.
160, Stats., when measured at a point of standards application as defined in s.
160.01 (5), Stats.
NR 815.07(5)
(5) Failure to comply with any condition of an injection well approval voids the approval.
NR 815.07 History
History: CR 01-104: cr.
Register October 2004 No. 586, eff. 11-1-04.
NR 815.08
NR 815.08 Reporting of injection wells. NR 815.08(1)(1)
Except as specified in sub.
(2), by no later than 30 days after becoming the owner or operator, the owner or operator of an injection well shall provide the following inventory information to the department:
NR 815.08(1)(b)
(b) Name and address of the injection well owner or operator.
NR 815.08(1)(c)
(c) Type of ownership such as, but not limited to, private, federal, state, local government or tribal.
NR 815.08 Note
Note: Federal regulations designate subsets, or “types", of injection wells within the 5 injection well classes. “Type," as it is used in this section, refers to those subsets identified in the federal Underground Injection Control program regulations.
NR 815.08(1)(e)
(e) Number and operating status of injection wells on a property or in a project.
NR 815.08(2)
(2) The following activities are exempt from the reporting requirements of this section:
NR 815.08(2)(a)
(a) Use of department approved products for drilling, rehabilitation or abandonment of any water supply well, groundwater monitoring well, or any other department approved borehole or drillhole.
NR 815.08(2)(b)
(b) Use of bentonite grout, cement grout, cement, concrete or other similar department approved materials containing additives, for the purposes of soil or excavation site stabilization, tunnel support, underpinning or foundation strengthening, groundwater control or diversion or for limiting structural settlement.
NR 815.08(2)(c)
(c) Construction of a structure such as, but not limited to, a building foundation, support footing, elevator shaft, lift station, utility conduit, cathodic protection device, sump, equipment vault, sanitary sewer, storm sewer or mine shaft.
NR 815.08(2)(d)
(d) Horticultural or agricultural practices, other than those activities that involve the use of an injection well for the disposal of drainage water or other fluids containing a pollutant underground.
NR 815.08(3)
(3) Information required under sub.
(1) shall be reported in a format acceptable to the department. The owner or operator of an existing injection well shall submit the required information to the department's bureau of drinking water and groundwater within one year of November 1, 2004. The owner or operator of a new injection well shall submit the required information to the department's bureau of drinking water and groundwater prior to operation of the injection well.
NR 815.08 Note
Note: Form 3300-253, Inventory of Injection Wells, is available for use in submitting the information required in this section. Copies of Form 3300-253 may be obtained by contacting the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater, Post Office Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707-7921.
NR 815.08(4)
(4) The department may also require the owner or operator of an injection well to submit additional information including, but not limited to:
NR 815.08(4)(a)
(a) Location of a well or project by township, range, section and quarter-section.
NR 815.08(4)(b)
(b) Location of a well by coordinates of latitude and longitude to the standard of accuracy established by the department for geographic information system records.
NR 815.08(4)(e)
(e) Identification of the geologic formation into which a well is injecting.
NR 815.08(4)(f)
(f) A narrative that describes the construction features of the well.
NR 815.08(4)(g)
(g) A schematic drawing that describes the construction features of the well.
NR 815.08(4)(h)
(h) A map or plan drawing that shows the location of a well in relation to other structures or adjacent property boundaries.
NR 815.08(4)(i)
(i) A description of the nature or quality of the fluid being injected.
NR 815.08(4)(j)
(j) The average and maximum injection pressure at the wellhead.
NR 815.08(4)(L)
(L) The date of the last well inspection or any maintenance activities.
NR 815.08(5)
(5) If the owner or operator of an injection well fails to submit any of the information that is required or requested under subs.
(1) and
(4) and the well has not been approved by the department or other regulatory agency as specified in subch.
IV, the department may order the owner or operator of the unauthorized well to cease injection until the time that the required or requested information is received by the department and an approval for the well is obtained from the regulatory agency having jurisdiction.
NR 815.08 History
History: CR 01-104: cr.
Register October 2004 No. 586, eff. 11-1-04.
NR 815.09
NR 815.09 Operation of injection wells. No injection well may be operated in a manner that fails to comply with ch.
160, Stats., or results in endangerment of an underground source of drinking water.
NR 815.09 Note
Note: Section
160.19 (4), Stats., specifies that if a state regulatory agency promulgates a rule that is designed to maintain compliance with a preventive action limit and if a preventive action limit is attained or exceeded at a point of standards application, the agency shall review its rule and, if necessary, revise the rule to maintain compliance with the preventive action limit. If an enforcement standard is attained or exceeded at a point of standards application, the agency shall review its rule and, if necessary, revise the rule to ensure that the enforcement standard is not attained or exceeded at a point of standards application or other locations in the future.
NR 815.09 Note
Note: Endangerment, as it applies to Class V injection wells that are not prohibited under subchapter III, is any exceedance of an enforcement standard established under ch.
160, Stats., when measured at a point of standards application as defined in s.
160.01 (5), Stats.
NR 815.09 History
History: CR 01-104: cr.
Register October 2004 No. 586, eff. 11-1-04.
NR 815.10
NR 815.10 Closure of injection wells. NR 815.10(1)(1)
All large-capacity cesspools shall be closed by no later than April 5, 2005 in a manner that is approved by the regulatory agency having jurisdiction.
NR 815.10(2)
(2) All existing wells that have been used for the disposal of a fluid containing a waste from motorized vehicle repair or maintenance activities shall be converted or closed by no later than January 1, 2005 in a manner that is approved by the department.
NR 815.10 Note
Note: With the approval of the United States environmental protection agency, the department may extend the deadline for conversion or closure of a well that has been used to dispose of a fluid containing a waste from motorized vehicle repair or maintenance activities to January 1, 2006.
NR 815.10 History
History: CR 01-104: cr.
Register October 2004 No. 586, eff. 11-1-04.
NR 815.11
NR 815.11 Class V well injection. Class V well injection is subject to the following:
NR 815.11(1)
(1) Construction or use of a well, other than a subsurface fluid distribution system, for underground injection of any waste, surface water, subsurface water or substance
underground is prohibited except as specified in ss.
NR 811.05 and
812.05.
NR 815.11 Note
Note: Section
NR 811.05 prohibits the use of any well, drillhole or water system for the underground placement of any substance unless it is a department approved activity necessary for the construction, rehabilitation or routine operation of a well or water system. This section applies only to wells and water systems governed under ch.
NR 811.
NR 815.11 Note
Note: Section
NR 812.05 applies to wells, drillholes and water systems other than those subject to s.
NR 811.05. Section
NR 812.05 (2) prohibits the use of any well, drillhole or water system for the placement of any waste, surface or subsurface water or any substance underground unless any of the following apply: (a) the placement is a department-approved activity necessary for any of the following: construction, rehabilitation or operation of a well, drillhole or water system, construction of an approved cathodic protection drillhole, remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater or an aquifer, or the study of groundwater conditions, (b) placement of grouting, sealing or well abandonment materials, and (c) placement of approved materials for purposes such as, but not limited to, soil or excavation site stabilization, foundation construction or strengthening, or groundwater diversion. Section
NR 812.05 (5) contains a list of activities that are not prohibited by this section.
NR 815.11(2)
(2) Construction or use of a subsurface fluid distribution system that is defined as a private sewage system in s.
145.01 (12), Stats., and used for the dispersal of domestic or municipal wastewater is subject to the provisions of ch.
SPS 383. Except as exempted in s.
NR 200.03 (3), any person discharging domestic or municipal wastewater to a disposal system defined as a private sewage system is also required to apply for a discharge permit issued by the department as specified in s.
NR 200.03 (1).
NR 815.11 Note
Note: Private sewage system, as defined in s.
145.01 (12), Stats., means a sewage treatment system serving a single structure with a septic tank and soil absorption field located on the same parcel as the structure. This term also means an alternative sewage system approved by the Department of Safety and Professional Services including a substitute for the septic tank or soil absorption field, a holding tank, a system serving more than one structure or a system located on a different parcel than the structure. A private sewage system may be owned by the property owner or by a special purpose district.
NR 815.11 Note
Note: Section
NR 200.03 (3) (d) exempts certain smaller capacity domestic wastewater disposal systems from the permit requirement contained in s.
NR 200.03 (1). Methods for calculating the design capacity of a domestic wastewater disposal system that is eligible for an exemption from the permit requirement are specified in s.
NR 200.03 (4).
NR 815.11(3)
(3) Discharge of liquid wastewaters from a publicly owned treatment works or privately owned domestic wastewater treatment works to a subsurface fluid distribution system or other land disposal system is subject to the provisions of ch.
NR 206 as specified in s.
NR 206.02.
NR 815.11(4)
(4) Construction or use of a subsurface fluid distribution system for land treatment of industrial liquid wastes, by-product solids or sludges is subject to the provisions of ch.
NR 214.
NR 815.11(5)
(5) Construction or use of a well to dispose of storm water runoff directly into groundwater is prohibited. Construction or use of a subsurface fluid distribution system for dispersal of storm water runoff into unsaturated material overlying the uppermost underground source of drinking water shall be done in a manner that complies with the groundwater standards in ch.
NR 140, complies with the requirements of ch.
SPS 382 and does not result in the endangerment of an underground source of drinking water.
NR 815.11 Note
Note: Use of a subsurface fluid distribution system for disposal of storm water runoff may also require a permit as specified in ch.
NR 216.
NR 815.11(6)
(6) Construction or use of a well to place backfill into an underground nonferrous metallic mine shall be done in accordance with the provisions of ch.
NR 132 and shall comply with the requirements of s.
NR 132.108 (4) (e).
NR 815.11(7)
(7) Construction or use of a well to place backfill into an underground ferrous metallic mine shall be done as approved under subch.
III of ch. 295, Stats., and shall comply with the requirements of s.
295.49 (2) (g), Stats.
NR 815.11 History
History: CR 01-104: cr.
Register October 2004 No. 586, eff. 11-1-04; correction in (1) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register November 2010 No. 659; corrections in (2), (5) made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register January 2012 No. 673;
CR 13-057: am. (6), cr. (7)
Register July 2015 No. 715, eff. 8-1-15;
correction in (6) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register April 2023 No. 808. NR 815.12
NR 815.12 Visitorial powers of the department. NR 815.12(1)(1)
For the purpose of obtaining or verifying information related to the administration of the requirements of this chapter, any duly authorized officer, employee or representative of the department shall at reasonable times and upon showing appropriate credentials have the right to enter upon or through any premises in which a well governed by this chapter is located or in which records required to be maintained by this chapter are kept in order to conduct an inspection of any equipment or method required by this chapter, examine or copy records pertaining to activities regulated under this chapter or to collect samples of any fluid being placed into a well.
NR 815.12(2)
(2) No person may refuse entry or access to any authorized representative of the department who presents department credentials and lawfully requests entry under this section, nor shall any person obstruct, hamper or interfere with any lawful entry or inspection.
NR 815.12 History
History: CR 01-104: cr.
Register October 2004 No. 586, eff. 11-1-04.
