Underground Injection Control Section

Class V Wells

What are Class V wells?

Typically, Class V wells are shallow wells used to inject a variety of non-hazardous fluids directly below the land surface into or above formations  that contain an underground source of drinking water (Rule 3745-34-04(E) of the  Ohio Administrative Code (OAC)). There are 17 different types of Class V wells.  Examples of Class V wells include, among others, surface water runoff drainage wells, septic systems, dry wells, motor vehicle waste disposal wells, and  industrial, commercial, and utility disposal wells. Often, Class V waste disposal wells are located in rural and/or un-sewered areas where people depend on ground water for their drinking water. Usually their simple construction  provides little or no protection against possible ground water contamination, so  it is important to control what goes into them. Class V wells comprise 50 percent of the injection wells in the U.S.

How many Class V wells are there in Ohio?

As of January 1, 2004, the Class V inventory included 32,967 Class V wells in  Ohio.  This included 17,775 actively injecting Class V wells and 15,192 closed Class V wells. These wells are listed below by type of well and injection status. The DDAGW-UIC program  believes there are many wells that have not been inventoried and that more than 50,000 Class V wells may exist in Ohio.

Type of Well Number of Active Wells Number of Closed Wells Total Number of Wells Air Conditioning Return Wells 79 2 81 Large Capacity Cesspools 30 124 154 Cooling Water Return Wells 62 91 153 Drainage Wells/Improved Sinkholes 5649 30 5679 Sand and Other Backfill Wells 2000 14128 16128 Septic Systems 2046 117 2163 MVWD 87 487 574 Industrial Wells 45 35 80 Aquifer Remediation Wells 7748 178 7926 Other 29 0 29 Total 17775 15192 32967

Do Class V injection wells need to be registered with Ohio EPA?

All Class V wells are required to be registered by the owner or operator of  the well with the Ohio EPA (OAC rule 3745-34-13(D)). Registration is done by  submitting a completed inventory form to Ohio EPA. No Class V injection well is  authorized to operate unless an inventory form has been completed and submitted  to Ohio EPA.

Which Class V injection wells are required to have permits?

All Class V injection wells injecting industrial waste or other waste (as  defined by OAC Rule 3745-34-01) must possess a permit to drill and a permit to operate prior to injection beginning (OAC Rule 3745-34-13(A)). All Class V  injection wells injecting only sanitary waste (as defined by OAC Rule 3745-34-01) that have been permitted or authorized by Ohio EPA’s Division of  Surface Water or the relevant local health department are authorized by rule provided a complete inventory form has been submitted to the UIC program (OAC Rule 3745-34-13(A)(2)). All other types of Class V injections wells (such as  storm water drainage wells) are authorized by rule to inject wastes into the subsurface provided they have been registered with Ohio EPA (OAC Rule  3745-34-13(A)).

The Director may require any Class V well authorized by rule to apply for and  obtain a UIC permit if the injection well is not in compliance with any  requirements of OAC Chapter 3745-34 or, if the protection of a underground  source of drinking water necessitates that injection be regulated by  requirements not contained in these rules (OAC Rule 3745-34-13(B)).

What are the permit requirements for Class V wells?

OAC Rule 3745-34-16 lists the requirements for submitting a permit to drill and a permit to operate to the Ohio EPA for a Class V injection well. OAC Rules  3745-34-26 and 3745-34-27 also contain requirements concerning a permit  application. The following application forms for various types of Class V wells are available. Please call or e-mail Valerie Orr if a copy of one is desired.

• General Class V UIC Well permit to drill application form;
• General Class V UIC Well permit to operate application form;
• Aquifer Remediation (5X26) Class V Area Well permit to drill application  form;
• Aquifer Remediation (5X26) Class V Area Well permit to operate  application form;
• Backfill (5X13) Class V Area Well permit to drill application form; and
• Backfill (5X13) Class V Area Well permit to operate application form.

Can a permit exemption be obtained for Class V injection wells used as part  of a ground water remediation effort?

Yes, under certain conditions, soil and ground water remediation efforts may  warrant the subsurface injection of fluids. If the remediation well is needed as part of a clean up effort approved by U.S. EPA or Ohio EPA under RCRA  Subtitle C or CERCLA, then the well is approved by rule as long as inventory  information is submitted (OAC 3745-34-08(C)). Operators of Class V Aquifer Remediation (5X26) wells where fluids to be injected do not exceed primary drinking water regulations, MCLs or health advisory limits must submit an exemption request to avoid having to submit a permit application.

What are the permit fees required to construct and operate a Class V well?

Each application for a Class V permit to drill or permit to operate must be  accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $2000 dollars for each application.

Are any types of Class V injection wells not allowed?

Figure: Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Well

All motor vehicle waste disposal wells and all large capacity cesspools are  illegal under both federal and Ohio regulations (OAC 3745-34-13(A)(5)). Large  capacity cesspools are considered injection wells used to dispose of untreated sanitary waste (OAC rule 3745-34-01).

Motor vehicle waste disposal wells are wells that are used to dispose of fluids from the repair of motor vehicles including cars, trucks, buses, vans, motorcycles, airplanes, farm equipment, constructions equipment and other types of motorized vehicles (OAC rule  3745-34-01).

Are there closure requirements for Class V injection wells?

All types of Class V injection wells must be closed in a manner that is  protective of human health and all waste materials removed from the wells must  be disposed of in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations (OAC 3745-34-13(A)(7)). Owners or operators for all types of Class V injection wells  must notify the Ohio EPA of the intent to close a Class V injection well at least 30 days prior to closure of the well. The owners or operators of Class V injection wells used to dispose of industrial or other wastes must submit a closure plan detailing, at a minimum, the inventory information concerning the well, procedures for removing any sludges or wastes from the well, and  procedures for plugging the well.

Is there additional information available about Class V wells?

Yes. The UIC program has several guidance documents, pamphlets and fact sheets  available to the public. These documents are listed below and can be accessed thru this page. Multiple copies of these documents are available upon request by  calling Valerie Orr of the UIC unit at 614-644-2752.

Informational Fact Sheet: Do You Have a Class V Injection Well?

Other information may be found on the web sites listed below:

U.S. EPA Office of Drinking and Ground Water

Ground Water Protection Council