Destruction of pit wells
Summary of water district standards

Permit and license requirements
Permits are required for all well destructions. Please call (408) 265-2607, extension 2660, for permit applications or download one [PDF]. There are no fees for permits. All permit applications must be submitted with original signatures. A general contractor's license may be used for the work if the well is to be backfilled with native soil, crushed Class II baserock, or other acceptable sealing materials.

Seal depths
All pit wells shall be completely filled with sealing/backfill material from the true bottom of well to at least 5 feet below ground surface. In some cases, special sealing requirements and inspection conditions will be stipulated on the permit. Be aware that district well standards are more stringent than the state of California well standards.

Acceptable sealing materials
Pit wells may be backfilled with native material (clayey soil) or crushed Class II baserock. Other acceptable sealing materials are 27 sack neat cement (four 94-pound bags/55-gallon drum), 10 sack cement sand grout, or concrete. No bentonite chips or pellets are allowed. No sand or gravel may be used for backfilling pit wells.

Placement of sealing materials
Free fall of cement sealing material is not allowed if greater than 30 feet or if more than 3 feet of standing water exists in well. A tremie grouting pipe must be used to place the cement sealing material if well is more than 30 feet deep or more than 3 feet of water is present in the well. Native materials, crushed Class II baserock may be free falled into pit well during backfill procedure. Native material must be compacted to 95 percent relative compaction.

Removal of pump apparatus and debris
All debris and hardware must be removed from the well prior to the backfilling procedure.