Water Well Construction

The construction of drinking water supply wells is regulated by Chapter 62-532 of the Florida Administrative Code, adopted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The rule is typically implemented by the five water management districts that issue the well construction permits. However, the districts have delegated the permitting program to local agencies and/or county health departments, including Broward. In these counties, the Florida Department of Health is the agency that issues drinking well construction permits, issues construction permits, performs field inspections, and initiates enforcement for private water wells.

All water wells 12-inches in diameter or smaller, including irrigation wells and monitoring wells, located in Broward County shall require a permit from Florida Department of Health in Broward County (DOH-Broward) prior to well construction, abandonment, repair, or modification. This does not include AC drainage, air sparging, or vapor extraction wells that are processed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Wells larger than 12-inches in diameter shall continue to be permitted by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).

A well construction permit will not be issued unless the required South Florida Water Management District water use permit has been obtained. All wells except those serving a single family home, a duplex, or a fire well and monitoring well, need a water use permit which gives the permittee the legal right to use water. Each well shall be constructed or abandoned only by a licensed water well driller. This requirement will ensure that each well will be constructed or abandoned according to proper standards and requirements to protect the integrity of the well and the aquifer underneath. Please call DOH-Broward at 954-412-7334 if you suspect that a well is being drilled without a permit or if you see a drilling rig/truck without the license number of the well driller.

The Well Permitting Application can be accessed from here: