West Virginia Waterwell Certification Program
To ensure the integrity of water well construction, and thus prevent potential pollution of state groundwaters, this office supervises a certification program of drillers and pump installers for water supply, geothermal, commercial and industrial wells. The mission of the water well certification program is to protect the health of West Virginia citizens who rely on water wells for their drinking water source, through implementation of the West Virginia Water Well Design Standards. Protection of ground water resources and aquifers is accomplished by assuring that water wells are constructed, modified, and abandoned in a technically sound manner.
Mission Statement
The mission of the water well certification program is to protect the health of West Virginia citizens who rely on water wells for their drinking water source, through implementation of the West Virginia Water Well Design Standards. Protection of ground water resources and aquifers is accomplished by assuring that water wells are constructed, modified, and abandoned in a technically sound manner. Our Agency encourages development of ground water resources and strives to nurture a sustainable well drilling industry through reasonable and uniform statewide enforcement of code requirements.
Background Information
In order to apply for certification, an informational packet is mailed to applicants requesting certification as a water well driller (entire packet is now available on this website (see Certification Information). This packet consists of West Virginia rules and regulations, liability coverage requirements, study information, and a work experience notarization form which serves as application for certification. The driller must have two years of verifiable water well drilling experience before he may test. If the EED staff verifies the information submitted, a test date is scheduled.
Certification testing consists of 3 separate examinations: WV Rules and Regulations, General Knowledge of Drilling, and a Category Examination -- the final two examinations are National Ground Water Association tests. The applicant must receive a score of at least 70% on each examination to receive certification.
As of July 1, 1992, each water well contractor must have a current contractor's bond and liability insurance coverage effective throughout West Virginia. The bond and insurance will cover all certified drillers employed by the contractor. Lack of current coverage is deemed sufficient grounds to deny permits to drill water wells in the state.
Water Well Driller Certification & Pump Installer Certification
A new legislative rule (64CSR19), effective April 2, 2008, establishes the certification requirements for water well drillers, pump installers and the issuance of permits for water wells in WV.
Requirements for Certification
|
Classification |
Duties |
Experience Requirements |
Certification Fee |
Written Exam |
Insurance / Performance Bond |
CEH Requirements (Starting 2010) |
|
Master Well Driller (MWD)
|
Drill, construct, install, repair, replace, alter or abandon water wells, including PWS wells.
Install or replace well pumping equipment. Perform yield and drawdown tests. Supervise Journeymen and Apprentices. Perform field observations to verify qualifications of applicants for all certifications under 64CSR19. Sign permit applications and completion reports. |
2 years (3,000 hours) experience as a JWD. Reciprocity - 6 years practicing drilling. Must be at least 18 years of age.
|
$150 annual fee.
|
70% of better on the NGWA General Exam ($75 fee to NGWA each administration).
70% or better on 1 of the following NGWA Specialty Exams ($75 fee to NGWA each administration): · Cable Tool Drilling in Unconsolidated Material; · Cable Tool Drilling in Rock Materials; · Air Rotary in Unconsolidated Materials; · Air rotary in Rock Materials; · Mud Rotary Drilling in Unconsolidated Materials; or, · Mud Rotary Drilling in Rock Materials. Reciprocity - 70% or better on the WV Well Driller Exam ($25 fee to WV BPH each administration) |
Bodily injury…$100,000 each person / $300,000 each occurrence. Property damage…$50,000 each occurrence / $50,000 each aggregate. Performance Bond - $5,000.
|
3 CEHs for renewal (plus 2 CEHs related to pumps if conducting pump installations) annually.
|
|
Journeyman Well Driller (JWD)
|
Drill, construct, install, repair, replace, alter or abandon water wells, except PWS wells.
Install or replace pumping equipment. Perform yield and drawdown testing. Supervise apprentices. Cannot sign permit applications or completion reports. |
2 years (3,000 hours) experience under the supervision of a master or journeyman driller. Reciprocity - 4 years practicing drilling. Must be at least 18 years of age*(16 upon written request/approval).
|
$100 annual fee. |
70% or better on the WV Well Driller Exam ($25 fee to WV BPH each administration).
|
None but must be covered under bond of Master Well Driller. |
2 CEHs for renewal (plus 1 CEH related to pumps if conducting pump installations) annually.
|
|
Pump Installer (PI)
|
Install or replace well pumps and pumping equipment.
Perform yield and drawdown testing. Provide immediate, on-site supervision of an apprentice’s work. Run power and control wiring from the disconnect box and breaker panel to water well equipment. |
2 years (1,000 hours) experience under the supervision of a pump installer or a master or journey man driller.
Out of State - 3 years practicing Pump Installation Must be at least 18 years of age*(16 upon written request/approval).
|
$150 annual fee.
|
70% or better on WV Pump Installer Exam ($25 fee to WV BPH each administration). |
Bodily injury…$100,000 each person / $300,000 each occurrence. Property damage…$50,000 each occurrence / $50,000 each aggregate. Performance Bond - $5,000. |
2 CEHs for renewal annually.
|
NOTES:
Apprentice water well drillers and apprentice pump installers do not hold certifications while gaining the experience required for journeyman or pump installer certification. However, apprentice water well drillers may only perform well drilling under the immediate on-site supervision of a master or journeyman well driller. Apprentice pump installers may only install pumps with on-site supervision by a certified pump installer.
A certified or licensed plumber or electrician shall not break the well seal or alter, cut or drill into the casing unless he or she is a certified pump installer.
C&T strongly recommends you approach obtaining certification in the following order:
- Read Title 64 Legislative Rule Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health Series 19 Water Well Regulations entirely.
- Complete appropriate application for certification being requested (EW-125A for Master Well Driller, EW-125B for Journeyman Well Driller, EW-125C for Pump Installer).
- Apply for any required examinations by choosing a date and location to have the exam administered and paying all associated fees appropriately by using Form EW-125E.
- Submit required bonding & insurance information.
- Allow C&T to review to insure all requirements are met. Pay associated certification fee per individual to WVBPH to process.
- Take required CEHs and apply for renewal using Form EW-125D.
An individual wanting to install a pump on a new private water well construction on their own WV property does not need to become certified as a well driller or pump installer. However, the individual is required to take and pass the WV Property Owner Pump Installation Exam locally at the county health department where the well is located. This exam information will be associated with the water well permit for future reference. The WV Property Owner Pump Installation Exam consists of approximately 30 multiple choice questions and a completion report and is administered open book (64CSR19 and 46 are the references). A score of 70% or better is required.
Exam Information Well Drillers & Pump Installers
Through this website, permit issuers, drillers, pump installers, customers, and the general public may search
The WV well driller and pump installer exams are administered through OEHS. Testing dates and locations are available online. To register for a WV well driller and/or pump installer exam, complete and submit the EW-125E form. Each exam consists of 25-30 multiple choice questions based largely on the WV state rules 64CSR19 and 64CSR46 and a completion (SW–258) or installation (SW-262) form. A score of 70 percent or better is required on the exam and each administration has a $25 fee.
WV uses the National Groundwater Association (NGWA) exams in addition to the WV well driller and pump installer exams. The NGWA exams are designed to test your knowledge of specialized equipment use, geologic formations, and troubleshooting skills within each certification area. For Master water well driller certification, applicants are required to pass the NGWA general drilling exam and at least one other of the following specialized drilling exams with scores of 70 percent or better:
Drilling categories (as of November 1, 2009):
- Exam A/B: Cable tool drilling
- Exam C/D: Air rotary drilling
- Exam E/F: Mud rotary drilling
- Exam G: Reverse circulation drilling
- Exam H: jetting and driving wells
- Exam M: Augering and monitoring
Each exam consists of 50 questions with objective questions and has a fee for each administration. To prepare for the exams, the NGWA has designed a Voluntary Certification Exam Study Guide that covers study materials for all exams currently offered by NGWA. Recent additions to this guide include a glossary of terms, test-taking tips, and a sample exam. The guide can be purchased through the NGWA online store. For more information about other NGWA recommended study materials visit National Groundwater Association.
Fee Information
| Item | Amount |
| National Groundwater Exam | $75 |
| WV Exam | $25 |
| WV Master Driller Certification (Initial and Renewal) | $150 |
| WV Pump Installer Certification (Initial and Renewal) | $150 |
| WV Journeyman Driller Certification (Initial and Renewal) | $100 |
Applicants for certification examination must complete form EW-125E at least 2 weeks prior to desired exam date. All exam fees must be paid by check(s) or money order(s) payable to WVBPH or NGWA appropriately for each individual applicant separately with the application.
Continuing Education Requirements
Since 2010, as part of the annual renewal process, certified drillers and pump installers are required to attend continuing education classes and submit proof of attendance with their renewal paperwork.
Master:
3 hours related to water well drilling
2 hours related to pump installation
Journeyman:
2 hours related to water well drilling
1 hour related to pump installation
Pump installer:
2 hours related to pump installation
Continuing education classes must be pre-approved by committee, but classes offered by the National Groundwater Association, state water well driller associations, conferences, and jubilees should be accepted. Click here for a list of approved CEH courses..
NOTE: Due to opposition from the WV Water Well Driller Association, internet-based electronic training courses are not currently being accepted as CEHs for water well drillers and/or pump installers in WV. We will notify everyone as soon as an agreement can be met and this issue resolved.
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