Registered Licensed Water Well Contractors

Water well contractors must be both licensed by the State of Kansas and registered with the City of Wichita.

It is unlawful for any person to engage in the operation of a water well drilling business within the City, unless such person has registered with the City to engage in such business (Ord. No. 46-119, adopted April 6, 2004).

No person shall be registered by the City to engage in a business of water well drilling unless such applicant is licensed as a water well driller by the State of Kansas. (Ord. No. 46-119, adopted April 6, 2004).

Check out the list of Kansas licensed water well contractors.

City Registered Licensed Water Well Contractors

Bearden Pump and Well Service
2221 Savannah
Wichita, KS 67217
(316) 943-9821

Chase Drilling LLC
POB 216
Bentley, KS 67016
(316) 796-1256 or (316) 773-1009

Harp Well and Pump Service Inc.
215 S. Tyler
Wichita, KS 67209
(316) 722-1411

Premier Pump & Well Service Inc.
5159 N 119th St W
Maize, KS  67101
(316) 722-8380

Weninger Water Well Drilling
5455 N. 119th St. W.
Maize, KS 67101
(316) 729-5881

Yes. A permit application must be submitted for approval prior to well installation. Within thirty (30) days after the construction or reconstruction of your well (example: re-driving a sandpoint well), either you or the licensed water well contractor (if you hired one) must send a completed Water Well Record (WWC-5) to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and a copy to the City of Wichita Department of Environmental Services. A blank WWC-5 form and an example of a completed form are enclosed for your use in an informational drilling packet.

• Water Well Permit Application
• Example of Water Well Record (WWC-5)

Kansas State law allows the owner of a property to construct or reconstruct their own water well as long as the work is done in accordance with Article 30 of the State Water Well Code and all local codes. If an owner wishes to contract with another party to have the work completed, the owner must hire a City Registered Licensed Water Well Contractor.

Yes, in the City of Wichita all water wells must be inspected by the City of Wichita Department of Environmental Services after they have been constructed, reconstructed, or prior to the transfer of property ownership. Existing water wells and water wells in Sedgwick County (excluding the City of Wichita) will be inspected if the Environmental Services Department is asked to take a water sample (sampling is done at the request of the owner or at the request of a mortgage company when a property is being sold) or in response to a complaint.

A pit well is any water well installed in a structure or excavation below grade, including but not limited to wells in pits, vaults, or storm cellars. Pit wells may not be constructed in Sedgwick County. Any existing pit well must be abandoned and plugged properly prior to the transfer of property ownership. Water wells may not be constructed or reconstructed in a basement. Unless the foundation is being treated by subsurface pressurized injection, an existing water well may remain in the basement.

Yes. Remember to follow the construction rules in Article 30, because it applies to all wells - including sand points.

A sanitary well seal is an approved manufactured seal installed at the top of the well casing which creates an air- and water-tight seal against the casing to prevent contaminated or polluted water from gaining access to the groundwater. All sand point/driven wells with a dummy casing and all cased wells must have a sanitary well seal. There are to be no openings with wires or ropes coming through the well seal; all wires are to go through a sealed conduit. The only opening allowed is the approved screened vent.

All water wells shall be a minimum of 50 feet (100 feet is recommended) from any septic tank and lateral field and a minimum of a 100 feet from any waste stabilization pond.

All water wells shall be a minimum of 25 feet (50 feet or more is encouraged) from any foundation or soil which has been treated by pressure injection with a pesticide or termiticide, including neighboring buildings. We strongly recommend that any well be located a minimum of 25 feet from any structure with a permanent footing or foundation which may require termite treatment in the future.

All water wells shall be a minimum of 25 feet from any property line; public right-of-ways may be counted as part of the 25 feet.

Yes, if the property it serves has both a sanitary sewer and a public water supply and the adjoining property is served by a sanitary sewer and does not contain a source of pollution or contamination. However, it is strongly recommended that the well be located at least 25 feet from the property line if all other distance requirements can be met.

Cases like this are looked at on an individual basis. You must request an exception to the rules (waiver) and describe the problem. Usually, the decision is based on which of the distance separations is the most important from a health and safety standpoint. To request an exception (waiver), contact Don Taylor at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Forbes Field, Bldg. 740, Topeka, KS 66620, (913) 296-5522. In the City of Wichita, contact the Wichita Department of Environmental Services, Water Quality Section, 1900 E. 9th, Wichita, KS 67214, (316) 268-8351.

Yes, a restaurant, grocery store, or other business which uses a well as its water supply must meet State requirements for public water supplies. You should contact the local Kansas Department of Health and Environment Office (316) 337-6020.

The Department of Environmental Services tests water samples for bacteriological quality for private home owners in Sedgwick County at a cost of $25.00. Call (316) 268-8351 to request a water sample.

Yes, new wells must always be disinfected and tested prior to using the water from the well for personal use.

New construction often requires the well to be disinfected more than once; this is usually a result of the condition of the water supply system (piping) and not the water source. Any time you make any corrections, i.e., replace the pump or water supply pipes, be sure to disinfect the well according to the procedures listed below.

1. Temporarily remove or bypass any carbon filter or reverse osmosis equipment, then unseal the well and pour in an appropriate amount of disinfectant (usually one gallon of laundry bleach mixed with four gallons of water for an existing home or four gallons of bleach for new home construction). Caution: a very strong chlorine solution may damage the rubber air-water separator in the pressure tank and/or may cause an accelerated breakdown of the resin beads in a water softener.

2. For more effective mixing of chlorine with the water column in the well, run a garden hose to the well and circulate the water into the well for a minimum of 15 minutes, then remove the hose and reseal the well.

3. Starting with the tap or outlet closest to the well, run the water until you can detect the chlorine (a chlorine test kit is the best way to verify the presence of chlorine). Once you smell chlorine or have tested for and found the presence of chlorine, turn off the tap or outlet; then proceed to the next one. You need to get the chlorine solution throughout the entire water supply system, so don't forget to flush the toilets and run water through your washing machines (clothes and dish), refrigerator icemaker, kitchen spray hose, outside taps, etcetera. Note: any lines that are capped off so that water can not flow through them must be eliminated by adding an outlet or by removing the line from the system.

4. If after running the water for a few minutes, you are unable to detect any chlorine at a tap or outlet; repeat steps 1, 2 and 3.

5. Once you are able to detect chlorine at all the water supply taps or outlets, discontinue pumping and allow the chlorine to remain in the system for a minimum of twelve (12) hours.

6. Following the 12-hour period, run the taps and outlets until you are unable to detect any chlorine (this can take many hours). You may wish to use the chlorine test kit to verify that the chlorine is gone. Caution: if your property is connected to a septic tank-lateral system, flush most of the water out to the yard or a ditch. Do not allow more than about 100 gallons to drain to the septic tank.

7. After you have finished flushing the system of chlorine, contact the Environmental Services Department to schedule an appointment to sample your water. To provide an accurate sample, the water can only be sampled 72 hours or more after the chlorine has been flushed from the system.

New construction often requires the well to be disinfected more than once; this is usually a result of the condition of the water supply system (piping) and not the water source (well). Any time you make a modification or repair to the system (such as adding or replacing lines, pulling the pump or suction line, etc.) be sure to disinfect the system according to the procedures listed above. Also, when replacing filter cartridges, be careful not to touch the new filter with anything that has not been disinfected, including your hands.

For emergency drinking water use bottled water, water from a safe source or water from your well which has been treated. Drinking water which is bacteriologically contaminated can be treated for use in an emergency by adding four (4) drops of household bleach to a gallon of water. Let the treated water stand for ten (10) minutes before using to allow the chlorine to act on the bacteria. Water treated in this manner will have a strong chlorine odor or taste, which will dissipate as it sits. Contaminated water can also be disinfected by boiling the water for fifteen (15) minutes. If the water has a lot of sediment, filter it through a coffee filter or clean towel. The treated water should be sealed and refrigerated when not being used.

Back to Top