Section 146.08. Licensee and registrant responsibilities.

  All water well driller, heat exchange driller, and pump installer licensees and registrants and registered water well drilling and heat exchange rig operators shall do all of the following if applicable to the individual's license or person's registration:

(1)  Perform work in compliance with, and ensure that work performed under their supervision is conducted in compliance with, all applicable laws and rules and with any plans specifications, variances, and approvals approved by the department; and perform work in a sanitary manner.

(2)  Upgrade any noncomplying water well or pump installation feature on which work is performed. The upgrade shall comply with the laws and rules and with any plans, specifications, variances and approvals approved by the department in effect at the time the upgrade is performed. Water well drillers shall be responsible for corrections relating to well location, construction and reconstruction. Pump installers shall be responsible for corrections relating to the pump installation. Noncomplying water systems features forms shall be completed for other noncomplying features that are apparent and known, with the exception of subs. (9) to (13) .

(3)  Complete any corrections ordered by the department for any water well construction, heat exchange drilling, pump installation or filling and sealing on which the licensee or registrant performed work, supervised work or signed a well construction report. Water well drillers shall be responsible for corrections relating to well location, construction and reconstruction. Heat exchange drillers shall be responsible for corrections relating to the construction of heat exchange drillholes. Pump installers shall be responsible for corrections relating to the pump installation. Water well drillers, heat exchange drillers, and pump installers shall be held responsible for correcting their well or drillhole filling and sealing violations.

(4)  Submit any report or form required to be submitted by applicable laws and rules and by any plans, specifications, variances, and approvals or orders in the time period required and notify the department of any change in information submitted on water well driller, heat exchange driller, or pump installer license, registration and renewal applications. Reports and forms shall be complete, true and accurate.

(5)  Clearly identify the name, and license or registration number of the licensed supervisory individual or the registered person in all advertising, estimates, invoices, and receipts and on any water well drilling rig, heat exchange drilling rig, pump installation truck, or similar equipment. The identification of equipment shall be at least 2 inches in height with at least 1/4 inch wide brush stroke. The identification shall have a sharp color contrast with the background on which it is applied. The identification shall remain legible and maintained without deterioration.

(6)  Refuse to contract for water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing or filling and sealing for, or lease or lend water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing or water well filling and sealing equipment to, an unlicensed individual or unregistered person without having an employee/employer relationship and without directly supervising the water well drilling, pump installing, or filling and sealing activities of the unlicensed individual or unregistered person.

(7)  Refuse to contract for water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing or filling and sealing for, or lease or lend water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing or filling and sealing equipment to, an individual or person whose license or registration was suspended or revoked, without having an employee/employer relationship and without directly supervising the drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing, or filling and sealing activities of the individual or person whose license or registration has been suspended or revoked.

(8)  Licensed individual water well drillers shall provide direct supervision on the first 10 water wells drilled by any employee or any individual which the licensed driller is responsible to supervise, if the employee or individual has no water well drilling experience, has no experience in a water well drilling method which is new to the employee or individual or has no experience in a grouting method which is new to the employee or individual.

(8m)  Licensed individual drillers shall provide direct supervision on the first 10 water wells and first 10 heat exchange drillholes drilled by any employee or any individual which the licensed driller is responsible to supervise, if the employee or individual has no water well drilling or heat exchange drilling experience, has no experience in a water well drilling or heat exchange drilling method which is new to that employee or individual or has no experience in a grouting method which is new to that employee or individual.

(9)  Before extending any well casing pipe out of a pit, or deepening a well constructed by another individual, the water well driller or the pump installer shall measure the well casing pipe depth to verify that the casing depth complies with the code in effect at the time the well casing was installed. 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 ss. NR 812.22 (10) or 812.41 (4) .

(10)  When doing any pump work involving replacement of the pressure tank or work involving the water supply piping inside the basement or building, upstream of the pressure tank, the pump installer shall install a complying sample faucet if one is missing, or replace any sample faucet that does not comply with the requirements of s. NR 812.34 , including replacement of any threaded sample faucet with a sample faucet without threads.

(11)  When doing any water well work or pump installing work that involves entry into a well located outside a building, the water well driller or pump installer shall extend the well casing pipe in accordance with the requirements of s. NR 812.42 to at least:

(a) 12 inches above grade for any well that is less than 8 inches above grade and was installed before February 1, 1991.

(b) 12 inches above grade for any well that is less than 12 inches above grade and was installed on or after February 1, 1991.

(12)  When doing any water well work or pump installing work that involves entry into a well, the water well driller or pump installer shall replace any non-vermin proof well cap with an approved vermin-proof cap or sanitary well seal.

(13)  When any water well drilling work or pump installing work is performed involving entry into a well that has a nonpressure conduit, the water well driller or pump installer shall evaluate the integrity of the nonpressure conduit and its connection to the well casing pipe by performing a pressure test. If the nonpressure conduit fails the pressure test, the installation shall be changed to a pitless connection in accordance with s. NR 812.42 (11) (e) .

(14)  Verify that the appropriate well notification, county well location permit, department approval and/or variance has been obtained before commencing any well construction or reconstruction.

(15)  Be legally and financially responsible for correcting any noncomplying work not corrected by individuals or persons which the licensee or registrant supervises or employs.

(16)  Have advance and specific knowledge of work being done by any individual for whom they are responsible to supervise.

(16m)  Have advance and specific knowledge of work being done by any individual for whom they are providing direct supervision.

(17)  Be adequately equipped to perform water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing, well filling and sealing and property transfer well inspections in compliance with applicable laws and rules and with any plans, specifications, variances and approvals approved by the department.

(18)  Ensure that either a licensed water well driller or a registered water well drilling rig operator is on site at all times during water well drilling activities. The licensee or registrant shall ensure that either a licensed heat exchange well driller or a registered heat exchange drilling rig operator is on site at all times during heat exchange drilling activities.

(18m)  For water wells and pump installations, ensure that the work is performed in a sanitary manner.

(19)  Water well drillers, heat exchange drillers, pump installers and well constructors shall, when requested by the department, give notice to the department, as specified in the notice of request, at least on the department work day prior to the day upon which any well construction or reconstruction or any part thereof, any well filling and sealing operation or the installation of any pumping equipment, will be commenced.

History: Cr. Register, December, 1988, No. 396 , eff. 1-1-89; CR 13-096 : am. (title), (intro.), (1), (3) to (7), cr. (8m), (14) to (16), (16m), (17), (18), (18m), (19), CR 13-099 : am. (title), (intro.), (1) to (7), cr. (8) to (17), (19) Register September 2014 No. 705 , eff. 10-1-14; correction in numbering in (8m), (14) to (16), (16m), (17), (18), (18m), (19) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1. , Stats., Register September 2014 No. 705 ; 2015 Wis. Act 197 ss. 39 , 40 Register April 2016 No. 724 .