Groundwater Protection Program

 

The Groundwater Protection Program protects and monitors groundwater quality and works towards restoration of groundwater that has been impacted by contaminants. Program staff administer the following subprograms: Source Water Protection, Underground Injection Control, and Agricultural and Western Groundwater Monitoring.

Carl Anderson

Program Manager - 701-328-5213


Programs/Projects

Source Water Protection Program

The North Dakota Source Water Protection Program was developed in response to the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments that require all states to define and assess the source waters of public water systems. All public water systems that have wells or intakes are participants in the Source Water Protection Program. Three elements of the Source Water Protection Program are federally-mandated requirements and are completed by the Department of Environmental Quality, while the remaining elements can be pursued voluntarily by the governing body of the public water system. The North Dakota Source Water Assessment Strategic Plan was approved by EPA in 1999 and updated in 2018.


Underground Injection Control Program

The Safe Drinking Water Act established the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program to provide safeguards so that injection wells do not endanger current and future underground sources of drinking water (USDW). The most accessible fresh water is stored in shallow geological formations called aquifers and is the most vulnerable to contamination. These aquifers feed our lakes; provide recharge to our streams and rivers, particularly during dry periods; and serve as resources for 92 percent of public water systems in the United States.


Water Well Information

Water Well Construction

Construction of water wells and installation of pumps and pitless units is regulated under Water Well Construction Rules - NDAC 33.1-18-01.
North Dakota does not regulate private well placement or water quality.


Groundwater Monitoring Well Construction

Construction of monitoring wells is regulated under Groundwater Monitoring Well Construction Rules - NDAC 33.1-18-02.


Water Well Contractor Licensing

All drilling and construction of water wells or monitoring wells and installation of water well pumps or pitless units must be performed by a contractor certified by the North Dakota State Board of Water Well Contractors. This does not restrict someone from constructing a well for their own use on their own property. 

The certified water well contractor, pump and pitless unit installer, or monitoring well contractor whose decal is on the primary equipment shall actually be in charge of its operation. A person is in charge only when the person has actual supervisory power over the work and makes onsite inspections of the work and progress.

Rules for certification of drilling contractors or pump installers are found in State Board of Water Well Contractors - NDAC 90-01 and 90-02.


Groundwater Monitoring

The Agricultural and Western Groundwater Monitoring Programs were established to determine the impacts on the state’s groundwater quality by agriculture and oilfield activities, respectively, while maintaining baseline descriptions of general water chemistry in these areas. Both programs monitor surficial aquifers that are more vulnerable to these types of contamination. Many North Dakotans rely on groundwater sources, especially surficial aquifers, for drinking water and various other uses; ensuring the state’s water stays free of contamination helps preserve the water for these uses both now and in the future.


Email List (click to expand) then click "Program" to sort

Filter 
Last Name First Name E-Mail Address Program Phone
Anderson Carl cjanders@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-5213
Anderson Eric eric.anderson@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-6092
Becker Sarah WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-9151
Brazil Emily ebrazil@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5296
Dahl Lane ldDahl@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5222
Delzer Alexis adelzer@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5282
Dettling Kylee kdettling@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5187
Espe Brady bespe@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5228
Gilley Cameron cgilley@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5210
Gross Joe jlgross@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5292
Grossman Dallas dgrossma@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5242
Hanson Lawrence lawrence.hanson@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5291
Haroldson Marty mharolds@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5234
Hite Nicole nhite@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-1676
Houle Brian bHoule@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5193
Joynt Emily eJoynt@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5239
Kaiser Don dkaiser@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5151
Kritzberger Ryan rKritzberger@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-9035
Kruske Montana mkruske@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5172
Malchose Jordan jnmalchose@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5289
McCauley Jenna Jenna.McCauley@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management
Miller Meridith meridith.miller@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5166
Nelson Amber amjnelson@nd.gov Water Quality Division 701-328-5210
Novak Emilee ejnovak@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5240
Rockeman Karl krockema@nd.gov Water Quality Division 701-328-5225
Schick McKenzie mschick@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5288
Schiwal Alyssa aschiwal@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-5159
Schuett Patrick pschuett@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5235
Stockdill Scott sjstockdill@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5241
Strommen Rachel rstrommen@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5244
Suess Bill bsuess@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5216
Suggs Shannon ssuggs@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-6409
Waldron Feld Sarah sfeld@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-5237
Wallery Paige pWallery@nd.gov WQ Spill Investigation 701-328-5243
Wax Peter pwax@nd.gov WQ Special Projects 701-328-5268
Wert Joshua jewert@nd.gov WQ Watershed Management 701-328-5014
Westercamp Benjamin bwestercamp@nd.gov WQ NDPDES Permitting 701-328-6032
Woutat Tanner twoutat@nd.gov WQ Ground Water Monitoring 701-328-5233