West Virginia § 22-26-7 - 22-26-7. Secretary authorized to log wells; collect data.

§ 22-26-7. 22-26-7. Secretary authorized to log wells; collect data.

(a) In order to obtain important information about the state's surface and groundwater, the secretary is authorized to collect scientific data on surface and groundwater and to enter into agreements with local and state agencies, the federal government and private entities to obtain this information.

(b) Any person who installs a community water system, noncommunity nontransient water system, transient water system, commercial well, industrial or test well shall notify the secretary of his or her intent to drill a water well no less than ten days prior to commencement of drilling. The ten-day notice is the responsibility of the owner, but may be given by the drilling contractor.

(c) The secretary has the authority to gather data, including driller and geologist logs, run electric and other remote-sensing logs and devices and perform physical characteristics tests on nonresidential and multifamily water wells.

(d) The drilling contractor shall submit to the secretary a copy of the well completion forms submitted to the Bureau for Public Health for a community water system, noncommunity nontransient water system, transient water system, commercial well, industrial or test well. The drilling contractor shall also provide the well GPS location and depth to groundwater on the well report submitted to the secretary.

(e) Any person who fails to notify the secretary prior to drilling a well or impedes collection of information by the secretary under this section is in violation of the Water Resources Protection and Management Act and is subject to the civil administrative penalty authorized by section six of this article.

(f) Any well contracted for construction by the secretary for groundwater or geological testing must be constructed at a minimum to well design standards as promulgated by the Bureau for Public Health. Any wells contracted for construction by the secretary for groundwater or geological testing that would at a later date be converted to a public use water well must be constructed to comport to state public water design standards.