62-528.600. General Criteria for Class V Wells

(1) Rules 62-528.600 through 62-528.645, F.A.C., set forth criteria and standards to regulate all injection wells not regulated in previous sections of this chapter.

(a) Generally, wells covered by these rules inject non-hazardous fluids into or above formations that contain underground sources of drinking water. That includes all wells listed in paragraph 62-528.300(1)(e), F.A.C.

(b) These rules also include wells not covered in Class I or Class IV that inject natural and manmade radioactive materials, provided these concentrations do not exceed current drinking water standards in Chapter 62-550, F.A.C.

(2) Classification of Class V Wells. Various types of Class V wells that exist or may exist in Florida are grouped together in order to facilitate the determination of permitting, operating, and monitoring requirements for these wells. The groups are:

(a) Group 1 – Wells associated with thermal energy exchange processes, which include air conditioning return flow wells and cooling water return flow wells. Air conditioning return flow well and cooling water return flow wells may be part of an open-loop or closed-loop system, with or without additives.

(b) Group 2 – Recharger wells, saltwater intrusion barrier wells, connector wells, and subsidence control wells.

(c) Group 3 – Wells which are part of domestic wastewater treatment systems, including septic system wells receiving domestic wastewater other than those specifically excluded in paragraph 62-528.120(4)(b), F.A.C.

(d) Group 4 – Non-hazardous industrial and commercial disposal wells, which include laundry waste wells, dry wells, injection wells associated with aquifer remediation projects, desalination process concentrate wells, and nuclear disposal wells used to inject radioactive wastes, provided the concentrations of the waste do not exceed drinking water standards contained in Chapter 62-550, F.A.C.

(e) Group 5 – Class V wells associated with mining or mineral extraction operations, including wells used to inject spent brine into the same formation from which it was withdrawn after extraction of halogens or their salts, sand backfill wells, and injection wells used for in situ recovery of phosphate, uraniferous sandstone, clay, sand, and other minerals extracted by the borehole slurry mining method.

(f) Group 6 – Lake level control and stormwater drainage wells.

(g) Group 7 – Wells associated with an aquifer storage and recovery system.

(h) Group 8 – Class V wells regulated under additional federal requirements contained in 40 C.F.R. 144.88 (2000) including large capacity cesspools and motor vehicle waste disposal wells.

(i) Group 9 – Class V wells such as exploratory wells, geothermal wells, experimental technology wells, swimming pool drainage wells and other wells not described in the other Class V groups above.

Specific Authority 373.309, 403.061, 403.087 FS. Law Implemented 373.308, 403.021, 403.061, 403.062, 403.087 FS. History–New 4-1-82, Amended 8-30-82, 5-8-85, Formerly 17-28.51, 17-28.510, 62-28.510, Amended 8-10-95, 6-24-97, 11-20-02.