FAQ from Well Drillers
PRINTABLE FAQ (PDF)
Can my application be expedited?
No. Applications are processed as quickly as possible in the order that they are received. By state statute, we have a maximum of 15 days to determine if a Notice of Intent application is complete and correct. Make sure your application is submitted with enough time to be processed and that it is complete and correct so that we can process it quickly.
I’m the well driller, can I sign the Notice of Intention (NOI) application?
All NOI applications must be signed by the landowner and the well owner unless you are an Authorized Agent or Representative. If you are authorized to sign on the Landowner’s behalf, you must also submit form 55-72 Landowner Authorization to Drill or Abandon a Well on Landowner’s Parcel, signed by the landowner.
After I obtain my eNOI password, how can I file NOIs electronically? How can I file drill logs electronically?
You can submit an eNOI through our eNOI system. If you need help submitting an NOI electronically, please view our eNOI Drillers Guide. Drill logs can also be submitted electronically through our Online Drillers Log portal. Please watch this video on how to file logs electronically.
Are there any situations where a Notice of Intent is not required?
A Notice of Intent does not need to be filed to drill an exploration or specialty well if the well is not expected to hit water and if it will be less than 100 feet deep. However, if water is encountered during the drilling of an exploration or specialty well, a Notice of Intent must be filed. It is also not necessary to file a Notice of Intent for oil, gas, or helium wells that are regulated by the Oil and Gas Commission.
Are there any special requirements for a Notice of Intent to Modify or Deepen?
A well being modified or deepened must be in the name of the current landowner and it must meet minimum well construction standards or be brought up to standard upon deepening or modification. If the well is not in the name of the current landowner a 55-71A Request to Change Well Information form, including the appropriate fees, must be filed with the Notice of Intent. If the department’s records or the NOI do not indicate that the well meets surface seal requirements, then a letter stating that a surface seal will be installed must be submitted with the NOI.
Are there any special requirements for a Notice of Intent to Replace a Well?
Within an Active Management Area, a person may only have one well for the same use at the same location. The well being replaced must be either capped and no longer used or abandoned. You will need to either submit form 55-40D Certification of Compliance to Replace an Exempt Well Within an Active Management Area or form 55-38 Notice of Intent to Abandon in conjunction with the 55-40 Notice of Intent to Replace application. The well being replaced must also be in the current landowner’s name.
Can I drill a well when the drill card has been issued to another driller’s license number?
No. Subcontracting is prohibited.
Can I email the application?
No. Applications can be mailed or dropped off at our physical location. There is a drop box on the third floor for your convenience. Note that applications dropped off at our physical location do not get priority processing.
Can I receive verbal drilling authority?
No. Verbal drilling authorities are no longer issued.
Do you have any resources to help me figure out the cadastral?
To learn about township range and section and the cadastral system please read this pamphlet. You can also try using the Well Registry to determine the 160-acre, 40-acre, and 10-acre quarters.
Has my application been received?
Check to see if your check has been cashed. If it has, then we have received your application.
How can I check the status of an application?
As soon as we receive an application, we issue it a well registration number, so you should be able to search for it even if it hasn’t been approved yet. Go to our online search tool and try searching by owner name or by location. If you know the registration number, you can search by that. Then, select the well by clicking the checkbox on the left and click “well info”. It will open a new tab labeled “well registry details”. Click “status” to view the action codes and comments. The action codes will tell you if it’s been sent back for being incomplete and incorrect or if it has been approved and mailed out. If you still need to call us to check the status, please have the parcel number ready.
How do I format latitude and longitude for ADWR forms, and how do I program a GPS in the correct coordinates system?
ADWR forms request latitude and longitude in degrees, minutes, and seconds in NAD83. To program your GPS in the correct format please view this video.
How can I get a password to file applications or drill logs electronically?
How do I take a measurement of a well location using a GPS?
Please view this video.
I am applying for a variance for my abandonment. What do I need to do?
Include a letter with the application that both requests the variance and states the reason for the request. The reason for the request must be able to justify the variance request. The request will then be reviewed.
I HAVE A PASSWORD TO FILE ELECTRONICALLY, BUT I’M HAVING TROUBLE LOGGING IN. WHAT DO I DO?
Check to make sure your caps lock is not on. If you still cannot log in, give us a call to verify that your password is correct.
I am unable to drill the well before the expiration date on the drill card. can i receive an extension?
No. A new application must be filed, and a new well registration number will be issued if approved. Note: Change of drillers retain the same expiration date as the original drill card, and will not be extended.
If I’m licensed in another state, do I still need to be licensed in Arizona?
Yes.
My application was processed, but now we need to move the location. What do I do?
Do not drill the well in the new location. If the application had to go to the county for review it will need to go to the county again so that they can review the new location. They may charge a fee for this review. Re-submit the application to our department, with the new county approval if necessary, and we will reissue your drill card for the new location. Please include a note with the application stating that the location has been moved and you need a reissued drill card. We will not charge a fee.
Something happened during drilling, and now the hole needs to be abandoned and a new well needs to be drilled. Can I just abandon the hole, move over, and start drilling?
No. If something happens during the drilling process, the current well may be abandoned without first filing form 55-38 Notice of Intent to Abandon a Well, as long as the drill rig has not left the site. Make sure, however, that the 55-58 Well Abandonment Completion Report is still filed. A new well may not be drilled until a new 55-40 Notice of Intent to Drill is received and processed.
What types of applications are not available to be processed through the online eNOI system?
The following types of applications cannot be processed through the online eNOI system: 1. Applications to drill a non-exempt water production wells inside an Active Management Area; 2. Applications to modify, deepen, replace, or abandon a well; 3. Applications to replace a non-exempt well in approximately the same location in an Active Management Area; 4. Applications to drill a new water production well in or near the boundaries of a contamination site; 5. Applications to drill a Cathodic Protection, Grounding, or Heat Pump well; and 6. Applications to drill a Monitor, Piezometer, or Environmental well, which is located within an area of known groundwater contamination and the screened or perforated interval is greater than 100 feet. You also cannot process the application online if the location of the well is near or on State Land. For these situations a paper copy must be filed with the department.
When can I drill the well?
The well driller can commence drilling when the driller has the “Drill Card” with the well driller’s name and license number in their possession. The well driller will also need a copy of the application to view the approved construction design and location.
When will my notice of intent application be processed?
By state statute, we have a maximum of 15 days to determine if a Notice of Intent application is complete and correct. If it is approved, we will mail packets to the driller and the well owner within 15 days. If it is incomplete or incorrect, we will notify the well owner within 15 days. Either way, a response will be sent within 15 days.
Where can i get well drilling licensing information?
When does a 55-40 application need to go to the county health authority for review?
A 55-40 Notice of Intent to Drill, Deepen, or Modify a Well needs to go to the County for review when the parcel is less than or equal to 5 acres and the well will be for domestic use.
Notice of Intention Applications (NOI):
Please make sure all the information on the application matches all the documents that are submitted with the application such as: the construction information or abandonment method on the NOI should match the Well Diagram and all necessary supplemental forms should be included.