CA Well Driller study guide
CA Well Driller · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The California Well Driller License is a state credential for people who construct, repair, and destroy water wells in California. It is administered in the orbit of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), whose Groundwater Management program is described as supporting "the sustainable management of California's underground water reserves." This study page is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by DWR. The CA Well Driller study guide has 5 sections and about 2,354 words.
01Well Drilling and Construction Practices
Construction questions on the California exam ask you to take a site from permit to a completed, sanitary well without creating a pathway for contamination. Expect siting and clearances, drilling method selection, borehole and casing geometry, screen and filter-pack design, and the driller's duty to keep aquifers from intermingling.
504 words, about 3 min02Well Casings, Seals, and Annular Space Requirements
Casing, seals, and annular space are the well's containment system. The exam checks that you know what casing must be, how deep and with what material the annulus is sealed, how grout is placed and verified, and how the surface completion keeps surface water out.
494 words, about 2 min03Well Development, Testing, and Disinfection
Development, testing, and disinfection questions ask whether a completed well is efficient, sand-free, and biologically safe. Content includes development methods and stopping criteria, drawdown and specific-capacity testing, and the chlorination and sampling sequence.
438 words, about 2 min04Well Abandonment and Destruction
Abandonment questions test whether you can convert a well from a potential vertical conduit back into something close to the natural subsurface condition. Expect permit requirements, sequencing, sealing materials, casing removal or perforation, and documentation.
453 words, about 2 min05California Well Standards, Reporting, and Licensing Law
Law and reporting questions ask who regulates wells in California and what paperwork makes a job legal: the Water Code well provisions, DWR Bulletin 74-90, local ordinances, the C-57 contractor license, permits, and the well completion report. DWR publishes the California Well Standards (Bulletin 74-90, which superseded Bulletin 74-81).
465 words, about 2 min