North Carolina Administrative Code Title 15A Chapter 27 Sections .0100 - .0900 (Well Contractor Certification Rules) became effective in August 2000. All well construction, installation, repair, alteration or abandonment requires direct supervision by a Certified Well Contractor under these rules, in conjunction with the definitions of "Well Contractor" and "Well Contractor Activity" provided in NC General Statute 87-98.2.

It is the Resident Engineer’s responsibility to ensure a Certified Well Contractor properly abandons all wells. Failure to do so could result in assessment of joint and several fines to the Department and to Construction personnel. Prime contractors who do not have a Certified Well Contractor on their staff must subcontract the work to firms that are certified. A completed Well Abandonment Record (DENR Form GW-30) is to be submitted to the Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section, with a copy to the Resident Engineer upon abandonment of each well. These forms will not be accepted if all spaces for Well Contractor name and certification number are not completed. It is imperative that no NCDOT personnel sign any well abandonment records. The Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section is to receive the completed GW-30 forms no later than 30 days after abandonment.

A list of Certified Well Contractors is maintained by DENR and is available online at http://gw.ehnr.state.nc.us/wwwroot2/Drill1.ASP. Section 205 of the Standard Specifications addresses sealing abandoned wells; however, the specification fails to address the actual abandonment materials required under 15A NCAC 2C .0113. The regulations are limited in the materials that are acceptable. Revisions to Section 205 are anticipated in the near future.