Section 12-5-136. Compliance with standards and licensing requirements; inspections; action by director if well not up to standard

   (a) All water well contractors or other persons drilling boreholes or coreholes are required to conduct their work in a manner that complies with the well construction standards established in this part and are required to be licensed or acting under the direction of a professional engineer or professional geologist as set forth in Code Section 12-5-125.

(b) The director or designated representatives of the division shall conduct inspections of wells and boreholes of all types to determine compliance with construction standards established in this part. Such inspections may be made in response to requests from the council or from any person who has reason to believe a well or borehole does not comply with the standards. The director may also select wells and boreholes to inspect at random.

(c) The director or designated representatives of the division shall be permitted access in or upon any private or public property at all reasonable times for the purpose of inspecting and investigating conditions of wells, methods of drilling, and records relating to the drilling and abandonment of wells and boreholes.

(d) The director shall report the results of all inspections to the respective driller, contractor, or person responsible for the drilling and to the council.

(e) The director shall notify the driller, contractor, or person responsible for the drilling and the council that a portion of bondedness or line of credit in such amount as necessary to provide corrective action may be assessed if that person does not bring the well or borehole up to the standards described in this part within 30 days.

(f) If a well or borehole is not brought up to the standards described in this part within this 30 day notification period, the director may, upon expiration of the notification period, expend whatever portion of the bond or letter of credit is necessary to hire another contractor to bring the well or borehole up to standards or to construct a new well.

Code 1981, § 12-5-136, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1192, § 1.