Southern Colorado Private Wells for Home Use

Quick Facts About Southern Colorado Wells...

• Prior to drilling a ground water well in Colorado, you must have a permit from the Colorado Division of Water Resources, also known as the State Engineer’s Office.
• Most private domestic wells in Colorado are “exempt” from administration in the priority system and do not require augmentation.
• Wells for most other uses, such as irrigation, are considered “non-exempt” and are administered within the priority system.

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Ground water wells are the principle source of water for most homeowners in rural areas of Colorado. There are approximately 11,000 new permits requested annually. Most of these wells are used for households and are considered “exempt” from the administration within the water rights priority system. They require a permit from the State Engineer, and are limited to 15 gallons of water per minute. Some exempt wells are further limited to in-house use only when lot sizes are smaller than 35 acres owners of these wells are limited to use inside the house only, no washing cars or watering gardens. It is important to know that a domestic well permit is not a water right!
 

Wells for most other uses like farming use wells for irrigation that are considered “non-exempt” and are administered within the priority system. Their use is limited by the terms of the permit, and since they are junior in priority, they must have augmentation plans to replace water to the stream system in over-appropriated basins.
 

Domestic Water Well On My Ranch

Our areas geology has no aquifers so ground water is found in fishers and cracks underground where water pools.  It may also consist of spaces or fractures between subterranean rocks that are saturated with water. Local wells may be as shallow as a few feet, or over a thousand of feet below the ground surface. Wells in mountainous areas of the Front Range typically average 350 feet deep. Ground water originates as precipitation that moves downward from the earth’s surface until it reaches the water-saturated zone and becomes ground water.

The quantity and quality of available ground water is usually difficult to determine prior to drilling because underground geology varies and because local ground water supplies and quality differ.  The only reliable way to determine the suitability of a water supply for drinking water is through a laboratory analysis for bacteria and chemical constituents.

Drawing of a typical private well and water supply system.

The amount of water obtained from a well can vary tremendously over a short distance due to changes in subsurface geology. In addition, wells can go dry during times of drought . As a rule of thumb, each person in the household requires 75 gallons of water per day to satisfy the basic human needs. For a typical household, that means the well should produce a minimum of one-half gallon per minute (0.5 gpm) or 30 gallons per hour to be acceptable as a water supply. Wells that are low producing (<1 gpm) often need an additional storage tank to buffer high water use periods, even though a typical 6 inch well bore hole will store about 1.5 gallons of water per linear foot of water depth. 

 If you rely on a private well for your water supply or if you are in the process of purchasing property where a well will have to be drilled, the following questions may be helpful in understanding your situation.

How do I get a well permit for my property?

Contact the Office of the State Engineer to apply for a permit. Forms are available online at http://water.state.co.us/pubs/wellforms.asp. In most cases, a licensed water well driller will fill out and submit the required paperwork for you. Once the form is completed and construction reports are filed with the State Engineer, most well permits are good for the life of the well and do not need to be renewed.

What is the difference between “exempt” and “non-exempt” wells?

Most homeowner wells in Colorado are exempt. Exempt wells are not administered under the “first in time, first in right” priority system used to allocate water in our state. Exempt wells are generally limited to 15 gpm and require non-evaporative wastewater systems such as septic tanks and leach fields. It is generally presumed that these non-evaporative wastewater systems consume about 10 percent of the total water pumped. The rest of the water is returned to the hydrologic system via percolation back to the ground water.

Are there different types of exempt wells?

Yes. The two most common types of exempt wells for homeowners are Household-Use Only Wells and Domestic and Livestock Wells. 

Household-Use Only Wells:

Most private wells drilled on or after May 8, 1972 on properties less than 35 acres are permitted for exempt household-use only. Water can be used only inside the home. Water cannot be used to irrigate lawns, gardens, windbreaks, livestock, or any other outside use.

Domestic and Livestock Wells:

If you own property that is 35 acres or larger, you can usually get a domestic and livestock well. Only one of these wells is allowed per parcel. The well may serve up to three single-family dwellings, irrigate one acre or less of lawn and garden, and provide water for domestic animals and livestock.

I am purchasing a property with an existing well that is not registered. What kind of use is allowed?

Unregistered exempt wells in use prior to May 8, 1972 can be permitted for historic uses, that is, those uses that were in place before May 8, 1972, if those uses are no greater than those allowed for a domestic and livestock well permit.
 

Exempt wells installed on or after May 8, 1972 must have a permit. Wells drilled without permits after this date were installed illegally.

I am purchasing a property with an abandoned well. What should I do?

The State Engineer’s Office has rules that require old wells that are no longer used to be properly plugged and abandoned. The existing owner has the responsibility to comply with these regulations.

The Division of Water Resources issued me a “household-use only” permit, but the neighbors have permits that allow livestock water. Why can’t I get a domestic and livestock well permit?

The most likely reason is that the neighbor’s well was installed prior to May 8, 1972 and the livestock use was already in existence.
 

How can I get a copy of my well permit?

To get a copy of a well permit, contact the records section of the Colorado Division of Water Resources at (303) 866-3447 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. For best service, have the well permit number, location of well (quarter section, township, and range), original owner who constructed the well, other prior owners, or the subdivision lot and block ready for the staff member so they can easily locate your well in the database.
 

Questions to ask when buying rural property:

If a well is present:

1) When was the well drilled?
2) Is the well registered with the Colorado Division of Water Resources?
3) If drilled on or after May 8, 1972, was the well properly permitted?
4) May I see the well permit, well completion report, and pump installation report?
5) Is the permit for “household-use only” or for “domestic and livestock use”?
6) Who installed the well?
7) How deep is the well?
8) Do you have a copy of the water quality tests performed on the well water?
9) How many gallons per minute (gpm) does the well produce?
10) Is the well at least 100 feet from a septic system leach field?
 

If a well is not present:

1) Has anyone tried to get a well permit for the property?
2) If a permit has been issued but a well has not been drilled, is the permit still valid?
3) How deep have neighbors had to drill to get water?
4) Have neighbors had problems with water quality?
5) Is there room on the property to install a well and a septic system separated by 100 feet?