Chapter NR 146

Chapter NR 146

WATER WELL DRILLER, HEAT EXCHANGE DRILLER, AND PUMP INSTALLER LICENSING
AND REGISTRATION; DRILLING RIG OPERATOR REGISTRATION

NR 146.01   Purpose and applicability.

NR 146.02   Definitions.

NR 146.03   License or registration.

NR 146.04   Initial applications for licenses or registrations.

NR 146.045   Examination administration, application, and fees.

NR 146.05   License and registration conditions and emeritus.

NR 146.06   Out-of-state water well drillers.

NR 146.065   Out-of-state heat exchange drillers.

NR 146.07   Renewals.

NR 146.08   Licensee and registrant responsibilities.

NR 146.09   Suspension and revocation.

NR 146.10   Well filling and sealing.

NR 146.105   Heat exchange drillhole filling and sealing.

NR 146.11   Property transfer well inspections.

NR 146.12   Citations.

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NR 146.01 NR 146.01 Purpose and applicability.

NR 146.01(1) (1) Purpose. This chapter is promulgated under chs. 280 and 281, Stats. The purpose of this chapter is to establish the criteria by which the department administers the water well driller, heat exchange driller, and pump installer licensing and registration program and water well and heat exchange drilling rig operator registration program required by ch. 280, Stats., and the licensing requirements for: filling and sealing potable and nonpotable water supply wells; and locating or evaluating wells that need to be filled and sealed, and locating or evaluating water supply wells and pressure systems at time of property transfer.

NR 146.01 Note Note: The standards for water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing, well filling and sealing and property transfer well inspections are in ch. NR 812.

NR 146.01 Note Note: The department intends to issue a single license or registration document indicating which type or types of wells or drillholes for which the holder is authorized.

NR 146.01(2) (2) Applicability. This chapter applies to any person engaging in, or intending to engage in, the business of water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing, filling and sealing of potable and nonpotable water supply wells, and locating or evaluating wells or drillholes that need to be filled and sealed, or locating or evaluating water supply wells and pressure systems at time of property transfer in the state of Wisconsin. The license requirements of this chapter do not apply to water well drilling or pump installing activities involving a well supplying water that is not used for, or is not intended to be used for, human consumption or for the washing or preparation of food or pharmaceutical products.

NR 146.01 Note Note: Any person constructing a water well or heat exchange drillhole or installing a pump, regardless of whether that person is required to be licensed or registered under this chapter, is required to comply with applicable laws and rules and with any plans, specifications, variance and approvals approved by the department for water well construction, heat exchange drilling, and pump installation. For example, ch. NR 812 contains water well construction and pump installation requirements for private and noncommunity water systems and chs. NR 810 and 811 contain water well construction and pump installation requirements for community water systems.

NR 146.01 History History: Cr. Register, December, 1988, No. 396, eff. 1-1-89; correction in (1) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register March 2011 No. 663; CR 13-096: am. (1), (2), CR 13-099: am. (1), (2) Register September 2014 No. 705, eff. 10-1-14; 2015 Wis. Act 197 s. 32 Register April 2016 No. 724; CR 25-014: am. (2) Register February 2026 No. 842, eff. 3-1-26.

NR 146.02 NR 146.02 Definitions. As used in this chapter:

NR 146.02(1e) (1e) “Advance notification” means notification to the department via fax, e-mail or telephone at least one working day before commencing any work.

NR 146.02(1g) (1g) “Certificate of supervision” means a department form, signed by the owner of a water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, or pump installing business and by the supervisory water well driller, supervisory heat exchange driller, or supervisory pump installer, that assigns supervisory, legal, financial, and compliance responsibilities for a registered water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, or pump installing business.

NR 146.02(1s) (1s) “Competent sanitary engineer” means a professional engineer registered by the Wisconsin department of safety and professional services who practices in the discipline of civil, sanitary and structural engineering.

NR 146.02(2) (2) “Department” means the department of natural resources.

NR 146.02(3) (3) “Direct supervision” means actual physical presence and supervision by a licensed water well driller during all water well drilling activities, by a licensed heat exchange driller during all heat exchange drilling activities, or by a licensed pump installer during all pump installing activities.

NR 146.02(3m) (3m) “Driven point well” means a well constructed by joining a drive point with lengths of pipe, and driving the assembly into the ground with percussion equipment or by hand, but without first removing material below the 10-foot depth.

NR 146.02 Note Note: A “driven point” is also known as a sand point well.

NR 146.02(4) (4) “Engage in the business of” includes advertising, bidding, contracting, preparing plans and specifications, supervising, performing, billing or receiving payment for water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, pump installing, filling and sealing, or property transfer well inspection activities.

NR 146.02(4b) (4b) “Experience period” means the 2 or 3 years during which a drilling rig operator gained experience toward obtaining a driller license.

NR 146.02(4c) (4c) “Filling and sealing” means to fill a well, drillhole, pit or reservoir with a material or materials so the well, drillhole, pit or reservoir will not act as a vertical conduit to contaminate another well, groundwater or an aquifer.

NR 146.02(4cm) (4cm) “General supervision” means that the supervisory individual provides initial instruction to employees, contractors, and subcontractors before work begins and minimal oversight of ongoing activities performed by employees, contractors, and subcontractors, while being available to provide prompt direct supervision if needed.

NR 146.02(4d) (4d) “Heat exchange drillhole” has the meaning specified in s. 280.01 (2b), Stats.

NR 146.02 Note Note: Section 280.01 (2b), Stats., defines “heat exchange drillhole” to mean “an excavation or opening in the ground that is deeper than it is wide, that extends more than 25 feet below the ground surface, and that is made for the purpose of installing a geothermal closed-loop heat exchange system.”

NR 146.02(4e) (4e) “Heat exchange drilling” has the meaning specified in s. 280.01 (2c), Stats.

NR 146.02 Note Note: Section 280.01 (2c), Stats., defines “heat exchange drilling” to mean “the industry and procedure employed in making heat exchange drillholes.”

NR 146.02(4f) (4f) “Heat exchange drilling rig operator” means an individual registered with the department to operate a drilling rig for the construction of heat exchange drillholes under the general or direct supervision of a licensed heat exchange driller.

NR 146.02(4h) (4h) “Licensed heat exchange driller” means an individual who has obtained a license pursuant to s. 280.15 (2m), Stats., and s. NR 146.04, as a heat exchange driller and has paid the annual license fee under s. 280.15 (2m) (c) 1., Stats.

NR 146.02(4j) (4j) “Licensed pump installer” means any individual who has obtained a license under s. 280.15 (2m), Stats., and s. NR 146.04, as a pump installer and has paid the annual license fee under s. 280.15 (2m) (c) 2., Stats.

NR 146.02(4k) (4k) “Licensed water well driller” means any individual who has obtained a license under s. 280.15 (2m), Stats., and s. NR 146.04, as a water well driller and has paid the annual license fee under s. 280.15 (2m) (c) 1., Stats.

NR 146.02(4L) (4L) “Person” means an individual, firm, business, corporation, limited liability corporation, company, association, cooperative, trust institution, partnership, state, public utility, municipality, or federal, state or interstate agency.

NR 146.02(4m) (4m) “Place of business or retail outlet” means every place for which a person would be required to have a seller’s permit from the department of revenue.

NR 146.02(4n) (4n) “Potable water” means water supplied for human consumption, or water supplied for sanitary use or for the washing or preparation of food or pharmaceutical products.

NR 146.02 Note Note: The term “water for human consumption” is used interchangeably with the term “potable water.”

NR 146.02(4p) (4p) “Property transfer well inspection” means an inspection, for compensation, for the purpose of locating or evaluating wells that need to be filled and sealed and water supply wells or pressure systems on real property in contemplation of a transfer of the real property.

NR 146.02(4r) (4r) “Property transfer well inspector” has the meaning specified in s. NR 812.07 (79t).

NR 146.02 Note Note: Section NR 812.07 (79t) defines “property transfer well inspector” as an individual authorized under s. NR 812.44 (1) to conduct a property transfer well inspection.

NR 146.02(4t) (4t) “Pump installation” means the pump and its associated pressure system including any equipment and material needed to withdraw, obtain, discharge and store water from a well or a spring. The pump installation includes the spring box, reservoir, pump, pump drop pipe, check valves, well cap or seal, pitless adapter, pitless receiver tank, pitless unit, above-ground discharge unit, associated discharge piping and associated connections, valves and appurtenances, pressure tank, sampling faucet, water storage or pressure vessel or structure, the electrical wiring and controls needed to operate the pump or pressure system, and any chemical addition, water treatment device or yard hydrant upstream of the water storage or pressure vessel or building control valve.

NR 146.02(5) (5) “Pump installing” means the industry and procedures employed in pump installation, including placement and preparation of equipment and materials for the withdrawal of potable water from a potable well in accordance with all applicable requirements of subch. III of ch. NR 812.

NR 146.02(5m) (5m) “Qualified welder” means an individual who holds a welding certification or who has passed welding performance qualification tests administered by a certified welding inspector (CWI) in accordance with American Welding Society manual AWS B2.1-1-201:2019 Standard Welding Procedure Specification, which is incorporated by reference for a fillet weld in the vertical (3F) and overhead (4F) positions and a butt joint, pipe-to-pipe weld in the 2G position.

NR 146.02 Note Note: Copies of the American Welding Society’s manuals may be obtained directly from the American Welding Society’s website at www.aws.org. Copies are also on file at the legislative reference bureau.

NR 146.02(6) (6) “Registrant” means a person registered to engage in the business of water well drilling, heat exchange drilling, or pump installing.

NR 146.02(7) (7) “Regulation” means the laws, rules, and conditions under which any registration, license or variance is issued or plans and specifications are approved by the department.