NR 812.42(1)(b)5.a. a. Twenty-five feet for wells constructed before February 1, 1991.

NR 812.42(1)(b)5.b. b. Thirty feet for wells constructed on or after February 1, 1991.

NR 812.42(1)(b)6. 6. Wells terminating in limestone or dolomite shall have minimum well casing pipe depth settings below the ground surface as follows:

NR 812.42(1)(b)6.a. a. Forty feet for wells constructed before July 1, 2020.

NR 812.42(1)(b)6.b. b. Sixty feet when the depth to bedrock is less than 10 feet below the ground surface and the well was constructed between February 1, 1991 and July 1, 2020.

NR 812.42(1)(b)6.c. c. Sixty feet when the depth to bedrock is less than 20 feet below the ground surface and the well was constructed after July 1, 2020.

NR 812.42(1)(b)7. 7. Wells terminating in bedrock other than sandstone, limestone, or dolomite shall have a minimum of 40 feet of casing pipe below the ground surface.

NR 812.42(1)(c) (c) Water quality. A well shall produce water free from coliform bacteria and free from contaminant levels in excess of the standards of s. NR 812.06. If the standards of s. NR 812.06 are exceeded, the department may require the water system to be upgraded to meet the requirements of this chapter or may require the well to be filled and sealed according to the criteria and requirements of s. NR 812.26.

TABLE E

HISTORIC MINIMUM SEPARATION DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN EXISTING POTABLE OR NONPOTABLE WELLS, RESERVOIRS, AND SPRINGS AND POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

- See PDF for table

NR 812.42(2) (2) Pits and alcoves. Existing well or pressure tank pits and alcoves constructed after April 10, 1953 shall comply with the minimum requirements specified in s. NR 812.36 (2). When a well in a pit is filled and sealed, the pit shall be filled in accordance with s. NR 812.26 (5) (m) unless the pit is a complying valve pit. If a building is constructed over a well pit or alcove, the well shall meet the requirements of a basement well as specified in s. NR 812.42 (9). Pits and alcoves constructed on or before April 10, 1953 shall meet the following minimum requirements:

NR 812.42(2)(a) (a) Construction. The entire pit or alcove, including the roof, shall be constructed of reinforced watertight poured concrete. If the pit or alcove has a history of being continuously dry, walls of concrete block, brick, or stone with mortared joints are allowed. The walls, floor and roof shall be crack-free and watertight. The junction of walls and floors and all openings in the structure shall be sealed watertight. The roof or deck shall be at or above the ground surface. Requirements for existing pits are shown in Figure 10 of ch. NR 812 Appendix. Requirements for existing alcoves are shown in Figure 11 of ch. NR 812 Appendix.

NR 812.42(2)(b) (b) Access. The pit or alcove shall be provided with a manhole opening, having a raised curbing edge at least 4 inches higher than the pit or alcove roof. A structurally substantial, waterproof, overlapping, tight-fitting cover with skirted sides shall be provided for the manhole. A watertight, cast-iron manhole frame and cover bolted in place with a gasket may be substituted for a curbed manhole. An alcove adjoining a basement or a pit not having the manhole centered over the well may have a section of well casing pipe installed directly above the well. This pipe shall be equal in size or larger than the well casing pipe and it shall be sealed with an approved well seal or cap.

NR 812.42(2)(c) (c) Drainage. An alcove adjoining a basement where the basement is subject to flooding shall be discontinued for use as a well pit and the well shall be filled and sealed according to s. NR 812.26. The alcove need not be filled and sealed. A pit or alcove drain or sump pump discharge pipe may not be directly connected to a sewer or other plumbing system. If the alcove drain discharge pipe is discharging to the ground surface, the end of the discharge pipe shall be screened.

NR 812.42(2)(d) (d) Casing height. The well casing pipe shall terminate at least 6 inches above the floor of a pit or alcove and shall be provided with a one-piece sanitary well seal approved for use under s. NR 812.091.

NR 812.42(2)(d)1. 1. If the well casing pipe does not extend at least 6 inches above the floor, the pit or alcove may remain in service only if all of the following apply:

NR 812.42(2)(d)1.a. a. The well location meets the minimum standards of sub. (1) (a).

NR 812.42(2)(d)1.b. b. The well construction meets the minimum standards of sub. (1) (b), verified by measuring the well casing pipe depth in accordance with sub. (7) (c) 3., if no confirmable well construction report can be found for the well. Well details, including location, well casing pipe depth, total well depth, distances to possible contaminant sources and well owner information shall be entered on a form and submitted to the department in accordance with s. NR 812.10 (15).

NR 812.42(2)(d)1.c. c. The pit or alcove structure meets the requirements of this section.

NR 812.42(2)(d)1.d. d. The well casing pipe is extended up and out of the pit or alcove to 12 inches above the outside grade in accordance with sub. (12). For situations where the well would create an obstruction, including in a stoop, sidewalk, breezeway, driveway, garage or patio, making it impractical to raise the well casing pipe up and out of the alcove, the well casing pipe may be raised to a height just below the ceiling of the alcove structure in accordance with sub. (12).

NR 812.42(2)(d)2. 2. If the floor of an alcove is lower than the basement floor, the alcove floor shall be raised to a height at least even with the basement floor by pouring concrete.

NR 812.42(2)(d)3. 3. If the raised alcove floor results in the well casing pipe terminating less than 6 inches above the floor, then the well casing pipe shall be extended as specified in sub. (2) (d) 1. d. and in accordance with sub. (12).

NR 812.42(2)(e) (e) Pit venting. Well pit vent pipes, if used, shall be located in opposite corners. One pipe shall extend to within one foot of the pit floor and the other extend only down through the pit roof. The upper end of each vent pipe shall extend watertight through the pit roof and terminate with a reverse bend and screened outlet.

NR 812.42(3) (3) Noncomplying pits and alcoves.

NR 812.42(3)(a) (a) Noncomplying pit structures. When a pit structure does not meet the minimum construction requirements of sub. (2) or when water gains access to a pit through the floor or walls, the floor and at least one wall of the pit shall be perforated and the pit shall be filled after properly extending the well casing pipe above grade in accordance with sub. (12) or after properly filling and sealing the existing well according to s. NR 812.26. Before the pit is filled, all water system components, including the pressure tank, pump, discharge piping, electrical wiring and conduit, and any treatment equipment shall be removed from the pit.

NR 812.42(3)(b) (b) Noncomplying alcoves. If the pit is an alcove, the alcove does not need to be filled, except when the alcove floor is lower than the basement floor, in which case the floor shall be raised to a height at least even with the basement floor by pouring concrete. To allow for easy removal of the pump for servicing or replacement, this casing extension may be made with the use of a threaded and coupled joint.

NR 812.42(3)(c) (c) Other modifications to pit or alcove. Any other modifications to a pit or alcove allowed under this chapter shall meet the requirements of s. NR 812.36.

NR 812.42(3m) (3m) Valve pits and alcoves. Existing pits and alcoves used only for the housing of valves are exempt from the requirements of this section except that a pit or alcove used for this purpose shall be watertight, may not be connected to a sewer, shall be drained to permeable soil or to the ground surface, and may not be subject to flooding.