Program Overview
State Regulation requires that the Department to be notified of a private drinking water well or irrigation well before installation. Private drinking water wells are also called residential wells or domestic wells.
Step One:
- The well owner or well driller will complete the one-page Notice of Intent (NOI) form (Form 3647) and submit it to SCDHEC, Private Well Program, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, S.C. 29201.
- There is a fee of $70.00 for a drinking water well or $50.00 for an irrigation well (The $20.00 difference is to provide water quality testing).
Step Two:
- The well driller contacts the local SCDHEC District EQC Office to provide the time and date of drilling 48 hours before drilling begins. This notice will provide the opportunity for a SCDHEC inspector to observe the well's installation.
- Construction standards still need to conform to the Well Standards, R.61-71.
- The 48-hour notice can be concurrent with Step One. That is, the 48 hours can begin when the NOI is received by SCDHEC.
This new regulation applies only to individual residential or irrigation wells. If a proposed well is to serve a small business, such as a service station, it is a Public Water Supply and needs to follow the Water Supply permitting procedures.
Regulations
South Carolina Individual Residential Well and Irrigation Well Permitting [61-44]
South Carolina Well Standards and Regulations [61-71]
Forms
Notice of Intent - DHEC Form 3647 (09/07) - (PDF 61KB)
Water Well Record Form - DHEC Form 1903 (07/03) - (PDF 142KB)
Contact
Toll Free Telephone Number: Toll Free Fax Number:
1-888-761-5989 1-888-761-6681
Jim Hess, Section Manager, (803) 898-3376
Bureau of Water . Phone: (803) 898-4300 . Fax: (803) 898-4215 . Contact Us