S-3543               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4554

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Hansen, Barr, Goltz, Benitz, Bauer, Bailey and Gaspard

Read first time 1/15/86 and referred to Committee on Agriculture.

AN ACT Relating to water well construction; amending RCW 18.104.070; and adding a new section to chapter 18.104 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 7, chapter 212, Laws of 1971 ex. sess. and RCW 18.104.070 are each amended to read as follows:

          Except as provided in RCW 18.104.180, no person may contract to engage in the construction of a water well and no person may act as an operator without first obtaining a license by applying to the department.

          A person shall be qualified to receive a water well construction operators license if he:

          (1) Has made application therefor to the department and has paid to the department an application fee of twenty-five dollars; and

          (2) Has at least two years of field experience with a licensed well driller or one year of field experience and an equivalent of at least two school years of qualifying educational training that satisfies the criteria of the department; and

(3) Has passed a written examination as provided for in RCW 18.104.080:  PROVIDED, That should any applicant establish his illiteracy to the satisfaction of the department, such applicant shall be entitled to an oral examination in lieu of the written examination authorized herein.

          ((Licensees hereunder shall, in order to construct water wells, be exempt from the registration requirements of chapter 18.27 RCW.))

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.   A new section is added to chapter 18.104 RCW  to read as follows:

          To enable the department to more efficiently and effectively monitor the construction, reconstruction, and abandonment of water wells, water well contractors shall provide notification to the department of their intent to begin construction, reconstruction, or abandonment procedures at least seventy-two hours in advance of commencing work.  The notification shall be submitted on forms provided by the department and shall contain the name of the owner of the well, location of the well, proposed use, approximate start date, drillers name and license number, drilling companies name, and other pertinent information as prescribed by rule of the department.  Rules of the department shall also provide for prior telephonic notification by well drillers in exceptional situations.