Water Wells and Environmental Drilling
The Inyo County Environmental Health Department issues permits to appropriately licensed California contractors for a variety of drilling activities. Activities that require a permit include:
- Construction of new well
- Perform repairs or modifications to the casing of existing wells
- The destruction of abandoned wells
- Exploratory holes for soil testing and monitoring or seismic exploration where such holes are greater than twenty-five feet in depth
- The conversion of oil and gas wells or geothermal wells for use as a water well
The following activities do not require a permit:
- Oil and gas wells or geothermal wells constructed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation
- Wells used for the purpose of dewatering an excavation during construction or to stabilize a hillside or earth embankment
- Test or exploratory holes for soil testing and monitoring or seismic exploration where such holes are less than twenty-five feet deep
- Holes or excavations for soil percolation tests where such holes are less than ten feet deep
All drilling permit applications submitted for review must include a complete permit application and accurate site plan. For projects involving multiple excavations, an individual application must be submitted for each proposed bore hole. Each permit issued authorizes only one well as outlined in the approved permit application package. Any deviations from the permit application must receive written approval from this department prior to execution, and may require the correction and re-submittal of the permit application and plot plan.
Upon initial review, projects with multiple excavations or those with extenuating circumstances may require submittal of a work plan to clearly identify the proposed scope of work.
CEQA
Indemnification document
GSA verification
Choosing the appropriate use
SSWS or PWS designation
Inspections
Change of Use