1. (1) The following basic principles, general in scope and fundamental in character, govern the construction, repair, or abandonment of a well; the installation, repair, or abandonment of a ground heat exchanger; and the installation or repair of pumping equipment:

   1. (a) Water wells shall be:

      1. (I) Located in such manner that the well and its surroundings can be kept in a sanitary condition;
      2. (II) Adequate in size to permit the installation of pumping equipment to produce the volume of water sought to be obtained in compliance with the well permit;
      3. (III) Constructed or abandoned in such a manner as to maintain natural protection against pollution of water-bearing formations and to exclude known sources of contamination;

   2. (b) The pumping equipment shall be:

      1. (I) Located in such a manner that the pump and its surroundings can be kept in a sanitary condition;
      2. (II) Selected, constructed, and installed: To meet the water yield and drawdown characteristic of the well; to be durable and reliable in character; of such material that no toxic or otherwise objectionable condition will be created in the water; in such a manner that continued operation without priming is assured at the time of installation; and to provide adequate protection against pollution of any character from any surface or subsurface source.

   3. (c) A ground heat exchanger shall be:

      1. (I) Located in a manner that considers the physical limitations of the land area and the proximity to other elements that might affect the type and configuration of the ground heat exchanger; and
      2. (II) Installed or abandoned in a manner that maintains natural protection against pollution of water-bearing formations and excludes known sources of contamination.
2. (2) The board shall adopt and may, from time to time, amend rules reasonably necessary to ensure the proper construction or proper abandonment of wells, the proper installation or proper abandonment of ground heat exchangers, and the proper installation of pumping equipment. The board may require the filing of information and reports relating to the construction or abandonment of wells, the installation or abandonment of ground heat exchangers, and the installation of pumping equipment if it deems such action necessary.
3. (3) All wells and ground heat exchangers shall be constructed or abandoned and all pumping equipment shall be installed in compliance with this article 91 and with the rules adopted by the board.

Source: L. 67: p. 696, § 10. C.R.S. 1963: § 148-20-10. L. 85: IP(1), (1)(a)(II), (1)(a)(III), and (2) amended and (3) added, p. 1187, § 13, effective July 1. L. 2025: IP(1), (2), and (3) amended and (1)(c) added, (HB 25-1165), ch. 257, p. 1318, § 26, effective August 6.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 25-1165, see section 1 of chapter 257, Session Laws of Colorado 2025.