(a) It is unlawful, and a violation of this chapter, for any person to drill a water well or geothermal well within this state, unless the following provisions are complied with:

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 69-10-103

  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation, the commissioner's duly authorized representative and, in the event of the commissioner's absence or a vacancy in the office of commissioner, the deputy commissioner of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
  • Drill: means to dig, drill, redrill, construct, deepen or alter a well. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
  • Geothermal well: means a hole drilled into the earth, by boring or otherwise, greater than twenty feet (20') in depth constructed for the primary purpose of adding or removing British Thermal Units (BTUs) from the earth for heating or cooling. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
  • Log: means a record of the consolidated or unconsolidated formation penetrated in the drilling of a well, and includes general information concerning construction of a well. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
  • Person: means any individual, organization, group, association, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, utility district, state or local government agency or any combination of them. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Water well: means a hole drilled into the earth, by boring or otherwise, for the production of water. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
  • Well: means one of these three (3) types of holes in the earth: a geothermal well, a monitoring well, or a water well. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
  • Well owner: means the person who owns the real property on which a well exists or is to be drilled. See Tennessee Code 69-10-101
(1) The driller of such well shall be licensed as provided in § 69-10-102;
(2) The driller shall, at all times during the drilling of such well, keep posted in a conspicuous location, at or near the well being drilled, a copy of the appropriate license; and
(3) The driller of a water well or geothermal well, after the completion of the drilling of each well, shall deliver to the commissioner upon forms to be supplied by the commissioner, a report of well driller by a date determined by the commissioner to contain at least the following information:

(A) The name and address of the well owner;
(B) The location of the well;
(C) The date upon which the well was completed; and
(D) The log of the well.
(b) The commissioner shall have the authority to inspect and approve or disapprove, based on the requirements of this chapter, the drilling of any water well or geothermal well, the installation and repair of well pumps or water treatment devices, the installation and repair of all conduits, valves, or other appurtenances that convey water between the well and any building, structure or any water discharge point.
(c) All water wells and geothermal wells shall be drilled, dug, constructed, altered, maintained, and closed in accordance with all standards and requirements established by rules promulgated under this chapter.
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