Invitation to Participate in Geothermal Well Standards Project

Contractors who are C-57 Well Drilling licensees and any others who may work with wells and groundwater will be interested to know that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) is updating state Geothermal Heat Exchange Well (GHEW) Standards and is inviting industry participation during the review process. These standards protect the state's groundwater and provide statewide minimum standards for the construction, maintenance, abandonment, and destruction of GHEWs.

California Water Code sections 231 and 13800 mandate DWR to recommend minimum standards to the Legislature and Regional Water Quality Control boards, and to submit them to the State Water Resources Control Board for adoption into the Model Well Ordinance. The Model Well Ordinance sets the minimum standard that local well ordinances must meet and is the default if no local ordinance has been adopted.

DWR plans a 30-day public comment period and at least two public workshops to present draft standards and solicit comments to update and finalize GHEW standards. DWR wants to work with interested stakeholders throughout the process.

Visit the project website to learn how to participate.