Title 122 Chapter 2

Title 122 - NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Chapter 2 - CLASSIFICATION OF INJECTION WELLS AND MINERAL PRODUCTION WELLS

Injection wells are classified as follows:

001 Class I. Wells which inject fluids beneath the lowermost formation containing, within one quarter mile of the well bore, an underground source of drinking water. These include, but are not limited to industrial and municipal waste disposal wells.

002 Class II. All Class II wells are regulated by the Nebraska Oil and Gas Commission and are wells which inject:

002.01

Formation fluids produced in connection with conventional oil or natural gas production;

002.02

Fluids to promote enhanced recovery of oil or natural gas; and

002.03

For storage purposes, hydrocarbons which are liquid at standard temperature and pressure.

003 Class III. Mineral production wells, and wells which inject fluids to promote extraction of mineral resources or energy, including, but not limited, to a well designed for:

003.01

Mining of sulfur by the Frasch process;

003.02

Solution mining of mineral resources which include sodium chloride, potash, phosphate, copper, uranium and any other mineral which can be mined by this process;

003.03

In-situ combustion of fossil fuel; fossil fuels include coal, tar sands, oil shale and any other fossil fuel which can be mined by this process; and

003.04

Recovery of geothermal energy to produce electric power; Class III wells do not include wells used in geothermal heating or aquaculture which fall under Class V.

004 Class IV. Wells used by generators of hazardous wastes or of radioactive wastes, by owners or operators of hazardous waste management facilities, or by owners or operators of radioactive waste disposal sites to dispose of hazardous wastes or radioactive wastes into or above an underground source of drinking water.

005 Class V. Injection wells not included in Class I, II, III, or IV. Class V wells include, but are not limited to:

005.01

Air conditioning return flow wells used to return to the supply aquifer the water used for heating or cooling in a heat pump;

005.02

Cesspools or other devices that receive wastes, which have an open bottom and sometimes have perforated sides.;

005.03

Cooling water return flow wells used to inject water previously used for cooling;

005.04

Drainage wells used to drain surface fluid, primarily storm runoff, into a subsurface formation;

005.05

Dry wells used for the injection of wastes into a subsurface formation;

005.06

Recharge wells used to replenish the water in an aquifer;

005.07

Saltwater intrusion barrier wells used to inject water into a fresh water aquifer to prevent the intrusion of salt water into the fresh water;

005.08

Sand backfill wells used to inject a mixture of water and sand, mill tailings or other solids into mined out portions of subsurface mines;

005.09

Septic system wells used:

005.09A

To inject sanitary waste from a dwelling, at a flow greater than 1,000 gallons per day; or

005.09B

For an establishment, business, or community or regional system which generates sanitary waste and has the capacity to serve 20 persons or more; or

005.09C

For dwellings, establishments, businesses, or community or regional systems that generate wastes other than sanitary wastes.

005.10

Subsidence control wells (not used for the purpose of oil or natural gas production) used to inject fluids into a non-oil or gas producing zone to reduce or eliminate subsidence associated with the overdraft of fresh water;

005.11

Injection wells associated with the recovery of geothermal energy for heating, aquaculture and production of electric power;

005.12

Wells used for solution mining of conventional mines such as stopes leaching;

005.13

Wells used to inject spent brine into the same formation from which it was withdrawn after extraction of halogens or their salts;

005.14

Injection wells used in experimental technologies;

005.15

Injection wells used for in-situ recovery of lignite, coal, tar sands, and oil shale; and

005.16

Motor vehicle waste disposal wells that receive or have received fluids from motor vehicle repair or maintenance activities.

005.17

Class V wells are classified by the following groups, code numbers, and descriptions:

005.17A

DRAINAGE WELLS

5D2	Storm Water Drainage Wells
5D3	Improved Sinkholes
5D4	Industrial Drainage
5G30	Special Drainage

005.17B

GEOTHERMAL REINJECTION WELLS

5A5	Electric Power Reinjection Wells
5A6	Direct Heat Reinjection Wells
5A7	Heat Pump/Air Conditioning Return Flow Wells (open loop)
5A8	Ground Water Aquaculture Return Flow Wells

005.17C

DOMESTIC WASTEWATER DISPOSAL WELLS

5W11	Septic System (undifferentiated disposal method), with a capacity for greater than 20 persons
5W31	Septic System (well disposal method), with a capacity for greater than 20 persons
5W32	Septic System (drainfield disposal method), with a capacity for greater than 20 persons
5W12	Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent Disposal Wells

005.17D

MINERAL AND FOSSIL FUEL RECOVERY RELATED WELLS

5X13	Mining, sand or other backfill wells
5X14	Solution Mining Wells
5X15	In-situ Fossil Fuel Recovery Wells
5X16	Spent-Brine Return Flow Wells, after extraction of halogens

005.17E

OIL FIELD PRODUCTION WASTE DISPOSAL WELLS

5X17	Air Scrubbed Waste Disposal Wells
5X18	Water Softener Regeneration Brine Disposal Wells

005.17F

INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL/UTILITY DISPOSAL WELLS

5A19	Cooling Water Return Flow Wells
5W20	Industrial Process Water and Waste Disposal

005.17G

RECHARGE WELLS

5R21	Aquifer Recharge Wells
5B22	Saline Water Intrusion Barrier Wells
5S23	Subsidence Control Wells

005.17H

MISCELLANEOUS WELLS

5X25	Experimental Technology Wells
5X26	Aquifer Remediation Related Wells
5X27	Other Wells (well type/purpose and injection fluid must be specified)

005.17I

PROHIBITED INJECTION WELLS

5F1	Agricultural Drainage Wells
5W9	Untreated Sewage Waste Disposal Wells
5W10	Cesspools
5N24	Radioactive Waste Disposal Wells
5X28	Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells
5X29	Abandoned Drinking Water Wells used for Disposal of Waste

Enabling Legislation: Neb. Rev. Stat. งง 81-1504(2)(13); 81-1505(1)(9)

Legal Citation: Title 122, Ch. 2, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality

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