Late and Inconsistent Well Driller's Report
On March 15 a driller completes a 460-ft well: 8-inch steel casing to 300 ft, 6-inch PVC liner from 0 to 460 ft, and a 40-ft screen from 420 to 460 ft. Field notes show first water at 240 ft, a second zone at 310 ft, static level 180 ft, and a 4-hour test of 20 gpm with 45 ft drawdown. The office report, filed April 30, lists water at 240 ft only, static level 185 ft, and 15 gpm with 60 ft drawdown. The owner needs a copy for a building permit. The Division sends a letter asking for clarification of the annular seal volume and the discrepancy in test data. The driller's handwritten notes are the only original record; the secretary typed the report from memory.
1. What reporting deficiencies exist and what should be filed now?
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The report is late and inconsistent. The driller should immediately file a complete Well Driller's Report and any required supplemental form with the Division, using the original field notes, not the typed memory version. Include the 240-ft and 310-ft water-bearing zones, the 180-ft static level, the 20-gpm/45-ft test, casing and liner depths, screen, and annular seal volume. Do not backdate the form. Attach a signed explanation of why the earlier report was wrong. Late filing does not excuse filing; the driller should expect a compliance letter and should correct the record before the owner relies on it.
2. How should the driller handle the difference between the field notes and the filed report?
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Use the handwritten field notes as the contemporaneous record. Prepare a corrected report or supplemental statement that identifies each changed item and the reason. Do not destroy or alter the original notes. If the seal volume is uncertain, recompute it from the actual borehole and casing diameters and state the assumption; if the volume placed cannot be documented, say so and offer to verify the seal. The Division can require the driller to explain discrepancies; a clear correction is better than a false 'final' report.
3. What records should be retained, and what should the driller give the owner for the building permit?
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Retain the original field notes, the filed report, the correction, pump-test data, and grout records for the period required by the Division. Give the owner a copy of the corrected final report and explain that the owner should keep it with the well records. Do not give the owner the erroneous version as the final record. If a building permit requires the well report, provide the corrected copy and note the supplemental filing so the permitting agency sees a consistent record.