NR 812.28 Note Note: The department recommends the installation of torque arresters on the drop pipe for submersible pumps. The department recommends that galvanized pipe not be used when the water quality is known to be corrosive.

NR 812.28 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1991, No. 421, eff. 2-1-91; am. Register, September, 1994, No. 465, eff. 10-1-94; corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, May, 2000, No. 533; correction made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2011 No. 672; CR 13-099: am. Register September 2014 No. 705, eff. 10-1-14; CR 18-095: am. Register June 2020 No. 774, eff. 7-1-20.

NR 812.29 NR 812.29 Height of finished well.

NR 812.29(1) (1) Except as provided in sub. (3), a pump installer shall ensure that the watertight well casing pipe for a well terminates at least 12 inches above the established ground surface, above a pumphouse or building floor or above any concrete or asphalt platform surrounding the well casing.

NR 812.29(2) (2) When a low capacity well is located in an area of traffic or where the well terminus is at risk of contact by vehicles, machinery, equipment or any other hazard that poses a significant threat of damage to the well terminus, the well shall be protected from physical damage by either using rigid metal posts or comparable barriers or by terminating it within a driveway ramp constructed in accordance with s. NR 812.36.

NR 812.29(3) (3) For a well in a floodplain, the top of a well and an overflow outlet from a flowing well shall terminate at least 2 feet above the regional flood elevation. A pit or alcove may not be installed to enclose a well or pump installation.

NR 812.29(5) (5) When a well terminates in a walkout basement meeting the requirements of s. NR 812.08 (2) (d), the top of the well shall terminate a minimum of 12 inches above the basement floor.

NR 812.29 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1991, No. 421, eff. 2-1-91; CR 13-099: renum. section to (1), (3), (4) and am., cr. (2), (5) Register September 2014 No. 705, eff. 10-1-14; CR 18-095: am. (1), (3), r. (4), r, and recr. (5) Register June 2020 No. 774, eff. 7-1-20.

NR 812.30 NR 812.30 Vermin-proof well caps and seals.

NR 812.30(1) (1) Requirements. A new well shall be sealed or covered with a weather- and vermin-proof compression type well cap or seal approved for use under s. NR 812.091 and installed on or in the top of the well casing pipe.

NR 812.30(2) (2) Well seal type. When a sanitary well seal is used to cover the upper well terminal, it shall have a one-piece top plate. A split top plate seal may not be installed unless it is enclosed in a substantial, permanent weather-proof shelter meeting the requirements of s. NR 812.40.

NR 812.30(3) (3) Well vent. A screened downward facing well vent or other vent may be provided for the well cap or seal for drilled wells. When the well is a flowing well and the well head must be maintained watertight or when there is concern for air entrained bacteria to enter the well through the vent, the vent opening may be plugged watertight with a threaded plug. Vent pipes extending above the well casing pipe shall terminate in a downward facing bend and shall be screened. Screens shall be made of material not easily corroded and shall be firmly seated in the vent opening. Vent openings incorporated as part of the underside of an approved well cap or seal are allowed.

NR 812.30 Note Note: The department recommends a vent be provided for the well cap or seal of a well that has significant water level drawdowns during normal pump operation. This recommendation does not apply to flowing wells.

NR 812.30(4) (4) Hold-down device. Well caps or seals may not be used as a hold-down device to prevent submersible pump discharge piping from coming off a pitless adapter or unit. A locking clamp or other similar approved device may be used to hold the submersible pump discharge pipe in place.

NR 812.30(5) (5) Conduit for electrical wiring. Where electrical wiring emerges from an underground installation to supply well pump equipment it shall be protected from physical damage by installing conductors or cables within a nonmetallic or steel raceway. The raceway material shall be: Listed, Schedule 80 sunlight resistant Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride Conduit (Type PVC), Listed, Intermediate Metal Conduit (IMC), or galvanized Rigid Metal Conduit. The conduit shall be threaded tightly into the well cap or shall be secured and sealed in an equivalent manner. Where a direct buried electrical cable supplies the well, the bottom of the conduit providing physical protection shall extend a minimum of 2 feet below grade. The conduit shall be sealed above grade in a watertight manner with a listed fitting, or by use of 100% silicone, urethane, or Butyl caulking. Where the conduit or raceway extends continuously from the well to a building or pump equipment enclosure, both ends of the conduit or raceway shall be sealed in a watertight manner as described in this paragraph.

NR 812.30(6) (6) Preparation of top of the well casing pipe. Any jagged edges or other significant irregularities in the top of the well casing pipe shall be removed by the well driller or the pump installer before the vermin-cap or seal is installed.

NR 812.30 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1991, No. 421, eff. 2-1-91; am. (1), (3) and (5), Register, September, 1994, No. 465, eff. 10-1-94; CR 13-099: am. (3), r. and recr. (5), cr. (6) Register September 2014 No. 705, eff. 10-1-14; CR 18-095: am. (1) Register June 2020 No. 774, eff. 7-1-20; correction in (1) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register June 2020.

NR 812.31 NR 812.31 Pitless adapters and pitless units. Pump installers or persons installing pumps shall use pitless adapters or pitless units approved for use under s. NR 812.091 to make subsurface connections to wells. Nonpressurized conduits may not be used.

NR 812.31(2) (2) General requirements.

NR 812.31(2)(a) (a) A pitless subsurface pipe connection to a well casing pipe shall be made with a weld-on, clamp-on, bolt-on or bolt-through pitless adapter or with a pitless unit, except that a bolt-through adapter may only be installed for a well constructed with polyvinyl chloride well casing pipe that has a permanently attached well screen. A weld-on adaptor or pitless unit shall be welded or threaded to the well casing pipe according to sub. (3) or (4). All welding shall be performed in accordance with s. NR 812.18. A pitless adapter or pitless unit shall be installed according to any approval conditions and according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

NR 812.31(2)(b) (b) The inside diameter of a pitless unit may not be smaller than the inside diameter of the well casing pipe. No part of a pitless adapter may extend into the inside of the well casing pipe, except that a bolt-through pitless adapter may be installed for a well with polyvinyl chloride well casing pipe having a permanently attached screen.

NR 812.31(2)(c) (c) An above-ground discharge shall be provided for all school and high capacity wells except that a pitless unit or a weld-on pitless adapter may be installed if the welded or threaded joints are pressure tested for leakage using a packer and pressure gauge or by a comparable testing procedure. The adapter or unit joints shall be tested and proven watertight under a pressure of not less than 14 psi. A soap and water solution shall be applied to welds to identify any leaks, and all leaks shall be repaired with additional welding prior to starting the pressure test. The pressure shall be maintained for at least 30 minutes. The pump installer shall notify the department at least 24 hours before testing, so that a department employee may witness the test.

NR 812.31(2)(d) (d) An above-ground discharge shall be provided for crystalline (granite) bedrock wells approved for installation of 25 or less feet of well casing pipe. When installing the above-ground discharge, the required neat cement grout surrounding the well casing pipe may not be removed.

NR 812.31(3) (3) Pitless unit connections to steel well casing pipe.

NR 812.31(3)(a) (a) When a well casing pipe is not terminated at the desired depth for the installation of a factory assembled pitless unit, the well casing pipe shall be cut off at the desired height, and the pitless unit may be welded or threaded and coupled to the top of the well casing pipe by one of the following methods as depicted in Figure 1 of ch. NR 812 Appendix:

NR 812.31(3)(a)1. 1. Cutting off the well casing pipe squarely, providing a bevel for the top of the well casing pipe and welding the beveled end of the unit to the beveled end of the well casing pipe.

NR 812.31(3)(a)2. 2. Cutting threads on the top of the well casing pipe with a pipe die and threading a full-standard recessed coupling watertight to the threaded end of the unit and to the top of the well casing pipe.

NR 812.31(3)(a)3. 3. Welding a pipe nipple, having threads on one end, beveled on the other end and meeting the requirements specified in s. NR 812.11 (6), to the cut off top beveled end of the well casing pipe and threading a full-length standard recessed coupling watertight to the threaded end of the unit and to the nipple. The top of the well casing pipe and the bottom of the pipe nipple to be welded shall both have beveled ends. If the pitless unit has female threads, the unit may be threaded watertight directly to the threaded end of the nipple.

NR 812.31(3)(a)4. 4. Reaming out the threads of a full standard recessed coupling, at least 1/3 the length of the coupling, and welding the coupling to the top of the cut-off well casing pipe with a fillet weld on the inside or the outside contact surface of the coupling.