Water Well Drillers Advisory Council

WATER WELL DRILLERS ADVISORY COUNCIL Meeting of October 22, 2012 - 10:00 a.m. North Campus, 1st Floor Meeting Room 1106 Clayton Lane - Austin, Texas

Summary of Minutes

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item B., Roll Call and Certification of Quorum. Council members: Lonnie Ball, Virgil Clark, Rusty Gilmore, Billy Lange, John Pyburn, and Ray Whisenant were present. Council members Jerry McKinney, Ray Reed, and David Vasquez were absent. A quorum was present. Mr. Ball appointed Ray Whisenant as the Secretary for this meeting in the absence of Ray Reed.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item C., Approval of Minutes – Meeting of August 27, 2012. Council member, John Pyburn, seconded by Rusty Gilmore, moved that the minutes be approved as presented. The motion passed with a unanimous vote in favor.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item D., Public Comment. There was nopublic comment at this time.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item E., Staff Reports. Staff did not provideoral reports and was available to answer questions from the Council if requested. Don Dudley, Education and Examination Division Director answered questions regarding review of the Water Well Driller examination.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item F.1., Work Group discussion and report: Rules Review work group. Council member, Ray Whisenant reported that the group had met four times by conference call and had prepared a document for review. One outstanding matter for the Council to discuss, was a question about well grouting during the technical construction.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item G., Discussion and possible recommendation regarding rule amendments and repeals: 2012 Rule Review for 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 76, §§76.1, 76.10, 76.200-206, 76.250, 76.300, 76.600-602, 76.650, 76.700-706, 76.708, 76.800, 76.900, and 76.1000-1011, Rules for the Water Well Driller and Pump Installer Program. Della Lindquist, Assistant General Counsel, outlined the review process and publishing schedule for the current rules, and outlined the proposed rule changes: 76.10 (1) removes the definition for abandoned well as defined in the statute. This section also adds definitions for the following: Bore-Hole, Well-Bore, Cessation of Drilling, codes, co- mingling, altering filter pack, geo-technical bore-hole, grout, offering to perform, positive displacement method, reconditioning, re-completion, and tremie pipe method. 76.201 Proposed changes to the License requirements 76.202 Proposed changes to renewals 76.203 Proposed changes to examinations 76.204 Proposed changes to License renewals 76.205 Proposed rules regulating unlicensed persons hired to assist a driller or installer 76.250 The Council suggested changes to Continuing Education Page 1 of 2 76.300 The Council suggested changes to exemptions 76.600 This item was removed 76.206 This item was removed 76.601 This item was removed 76.602 Changed the term to injurious water 76.650 Minor changes to the advisory council rules 76.700 Minor changes to the state well report requirements; added electronic well reports 76.701 Changes to the notification process to report injurious water 76.702 Changes to the land owner requirement for drilling and completing a well 76.703 Removed all standards for completion of public water system wells except reference to TCEQ requirements 76.704 and 75.706 Made minor changes 76.708 Requirements to adhere to the manufacturers recommended well construction materials 76.800 Major changes to fee amounts. 76.1000 Proposed changes to production zone versus static water levels; and gravel pack was changed to filter pack 76.1004 Requirements for capping wells that penetrate injurious water, add a requirement for pressure sealed wells in the South Texas Plains and Inter-Coastal areas 76.1002-1004 Change the term undesirable water to injurious water Council discussed the proposed rules and made recommendations. Council member Virgil Clark, seconded by Billy Lange, moved to recommend that the rules be published in the Texas Register for public comment after the revisions discussed and agreed to were made.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item H., Recommendations for agenda items for next meeting. The Council placed discussion of an apprentice program and discussion of work group reports and rules review of requirement for capping wells in South Texas Coastal plains on the next meeting agenda.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item I., Discussion of date, time, and location of next meeting. The Committee agreed to hold the next meeting January 14, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.

Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball moved to agenda item J., Adjournment. Presiding Officer, Lonnie Ball adjourned the meeting at 12:10 p.m.

______Lonnie C. Ball, Presiding Officer Water Well Drillers Advisory Council

______Ray Reed, Secretary Water Well Drillers Advisory Council