UIC Class V Well Types

This page lists the types and describes all the Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells that are classified as Class V and require registration

Well Categories

Follow the hyperlink in the right-hand column to advance to the full description of this well type.

Main Category	Well Type	Well Descriptor
Ground Source Heat Pump	Open-Loop - Standing Column (Includes System Bleed Well if Proposed)	1
	Open-Loop - Open Transfer (Includes System Bleed Well if Proposed)	1
	Closed-Loop and Direct Exchange (DX)	2
Motor Vehicle Related	Rinse Water, Snow/Ice Melt or Rain Drip from Motor Vehicles (Not a Commercial Car Wash Facility)	3
	Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal	4
Stormwater	Stormwater Drainage - No Land Uses With Higher Potential Pollutant Loads Per MassDEP Stormwater Handbook	5
	Stormwater Drainage - One or More Land Uses with Higher Potential Pollutant Loads Per MassDEP Stormwater Handbook	6
	Stormwater - Agricultural	7
	Stormwater - Karst	8
Water Purification	Water Purification Discharge-Residential	9
	Water Purification Discharge-Public Water System	9
	Water Purification Discharge-Commercial	9
	Water Purification Discharge-Industrial	10
Other	Abandoned Well	11
	Aquaculture Return Flow	12
	Aquifer Recharge/Recovery	13
	Aquifer Remediation	14
	Cesspool	15
	Experimental Technology (Contact UIC Program Prior to Submitting)	16
	Non-Contact Cooling Water Return Flow	17
	Process Water and Wastewater Disposal	18
	Radioactive Waste Disposal	19
	Saline Water Intrusion Barrier	20
	Special Drainage - Includes Groundwater Infiltration (Sump Pump)	21
	Special Drainage - Swimming Pools Only	21
	Subsidence Control	22
	Other - Not Included In any of the Above Categories (Contact UIC Program Prior to Submitting)	23

Ground Source Heat Pump

Open-Loop - Standing Column (Includes System Bleed Well if Proposed)
Open-Loop - Open Transfer (Includes System Bleed Well if Proposed)

This well type reinjects ground water for the purpose of transferring heat to or from the earth for the purpose of heating and/or cooling building space and/or to provide potable hot water. This well type applies when the naturally occurring, ambient ground temperature (prior to the start of reinjection operations) is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or less. If the applicant proposes to add any additive to the discharge from an open-loop system they must file for a Ground Water Discharge Permit (314 CMR 5.00), not a UIC registration. This category does not include cooling of process water (see Other - Non-Contact Cooling Water). 

Closed-Loop and Direct Exchange (DX)

These well types transfer heat to or from the earth for the purpose of heating and/or cooling building space and/or to provide potable hot water. These wells consist of plastic or copper tubing that prevents the heat transfer fluid from coming into direct contact with the aquifer/groundwater. This category does not include cooling of process water (see Other - Non-Contact Cooling Water). 

As of December 2, 2016, the installation and operation of a Class V closed-loop or direct exchange Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) well no longer requires the filing of a UIC Registration application with MassDEP, provided that the well has been installed and is operating in accordance with MassDEP’s Guidelines for Ground Source Heat Pump Wells, and provided that the well is not used to produce water.  This change is based upon amendments to the MassDEP Ground Water Discharge Permit Program regulations, 314 CMR 5.00, that were promulgated on that date.

Motor Vehicle Related

Rinse Water, Snow/Ice Melt or Rain Drip from Motor Vehicles (Not a Commercial Car Wash Facility)

This well type receives discharges of snow/ice melt, rain drip, and rinse water from exterior washing of cars and trucks to rinse off dust. Cleaning is restricted to the exterior of the vehicle using only plain water (no hot water, steam or pressurized water; no soap, cleaners or solvents) with MassDEP approved Best Management Practices (BMPs) in place (structural & non-structural). The discharge must not include discharges from any of the excluded discharge types (associated with motor vehicle cleaning) listed below. After you submit this application MassDEP will make the determination as to whether the discharge requires a Ground Water Discharge Permit (GDP) as per 314 CMR 5.00 (you will be notified accordingly) and, if not, the application will be reviewed by MassDEP staff as a UIC Registration.

Excluded Discharge Types: Wash water from engine cleaning, undercarriage washing , transmission cleaning and from the cleaning of the interior of truck trailers and other large commodity-carrying containers must be collected and discharged to a municipal sewer system (with local authority approval); holding tank, treated in a closed-loop wash water recycling system or must be treated and a GDP must be obtained.

The applicant shall be required to submit a completed UIC Class V Well Motor Vehicle Rinse Water, Snow/Ice Melt or Rain Drip Non Exposure Form and Certification Statement.

Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal

This well type receives or has received fluids from vehicular repair or maintenance activities, such as an auto body repair shop, automotive repair shop, new and used car dealership, specialty repair shop (e.g., transmission and muffler repair shop), or any facility that does any vehicular repair work. Motor vehicles include: automobiles, buses, trucks, trains, boats, motorcycles, farm machinery, airplanes and recreation vehicles such as snow mobiles, golf carts, all terrain vehicles, and jet skis. Existing Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells that do not have a Ground Water Discharge Permit (GDP) must either use eDEP to file or submit a BRP WS06d UIC Registration for Pre-Closure of Unauthorized Well paper form. Proposed Motor Vehicle Waste Disposal Wells are banned and the owner/operator must submit a GDP application as per 314 CMR 5.00 in order to discharge into or onto the ground. Conversions & Partial Closures must file the previously referenced form and the applicable BRP WS06 UIC Registration form for the new or existing (and continuing) well (activity) type.

Stormwater

Stormwater Drainage - No Land Uses With Higher Potential Pollutant Loads Per MassDEP Stormwater Handbook

This well type is designed to receive surface runoff of rainwater and melted snow from impervious surfaces such as paved areas including streets, driveways, access roads and parking lots and runoff from building roofs. Wells in this category have no land uses with higher potential pollutant loads (LUHPPL) within the drainage area serviced by the well(s) as defined in the MassDEP Stormwater Handbook . All stormwater applicants shall be required to submit a completed UIC Class V Well Technical Compliance Form for Stormwater Wells. 

Stormwater Drainage - One or More Land Uses with Higher Potential Pollutant Loads Per MassDEP Stormwater Handbook

This well type is designed to receive and manage surface runoff of rainwater and melted snow from impervious surfaces such as paved areas including streets, driveways, access roads and parking lots and runoff from building roofs. This well type includes wells located in areas that have the potential to receive oil or hazardous materials as a result of leaks, spills or other releases from activities described in Standard 5 of the MassDEP Stormwater Handbook . All stormwater applicants shall be required to submit a completed UIC Class V Well Technical Compliance Form for Stormwater Wells.

Stormwater - Agricultural

This well type is designed to receive and manage surface runoff of rainwater and melted snow from impervious and non-impervious surfaces at agricultural facilities. Also included are wells that receive agricultural tail waters and wells that drain flood irrigation. Wells of this type include improved sinkholes, former water supply wells or irrigation wells, underground drain tiles, cisterns, and infiltration chambers/galleries. These wells can also include rainwater runoff from onsite paved areas such as roads, driveways and parking as well as roofs. All stormwater applicants shall be required to submit a completed UIC Class V Well Technical Compliance Form for Stormwater Wells.

Stormwater - Karst

This well type is designed to receive surface runoff of rainwater and melted snow from impervious surfaces such as paved areas including streets, driveways, access roads and parking lots and runoff from building roofs. The wells consist of improved sinkholes in areas of karst topography. Improved sinkhole means a naturally occurring karst depression or other natural crevice found in volcanic terrain and other geologic settings which have been modified by man for the purpose of directing and emplacing fluids into the subsurface. These well have a variety of designs and may be referred to by other names including dry wells, bored wells, and infiltration galleries. Wells in this category have no land uses with higher potential pollutant loads (LUHPPL) within the drainage area serviced by the well(s) as defined in the MassDEP Stormwater Handbook. A stormwater drainage well in a karst environment that receives drainage from an area that is considered to have one or more of the LUHPPLs defined in the MassDEP Stormwater Handbook shall be registered as a Stormwater Drainage Well with One or More LUHPPL Per MassDEP Stormwater Handbook and not as a Stormwater - Karst Well.

All stormwater applicants shall be required to submit a completed UIC Class V Well Technical Compliance Form for Stormwater Wells.

Water Purification

Water Purification Discharge-Residential
Water Purification Discharge-Public Water System
Water Purification Discharge-Commercial

These well types receive discharges (liquid such as - brines, concentrates, backwash, reject water, rinse water and filter to waste water) from various types of water treatment / purification equipment used to treat groundwater or surface water to drinking water quality standards for residential, government, public water supply, and commercial use. Discharges from treatment systems that intentionally or unintentionally treat water containing uranium or radon are prohibited from discharging into a Class V well if the concentration of the discharge exceeds 60 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of radium 226 or radium 228 and/or 300 pCi/L of uranium (see description for other - radioactive waste disposal).

Water Purification Discharge-Industrial

This well type receives discharges (liquid such as - brines, concentrates, backwash, reject water, rinse water and filter to waste water) from various types of water treatment / purification equipment used to treat groundwater or surface water for industrial use. If the industrial process water is treated to a standard more stringent than drinking water quality then this application will be reviewed by Ground Water Discharge Permit program staff to make a determination as to whether the discharge requires a Ground Water Discharge Permit (GDP) as per 314 CMR 5.00 (you will be notified accordingly). If the GDP staff determine that a GDP is not required then the application will be reviewed by MassDEP staff as a UIC Registration.

Discharges from treatment systems that intentionally or unintentionally treat water containing uranium or radon are prohibited from discharging into a Class V well if the concentration of the discharge exceeds 60 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of radium 226 or radium 228 and/or 300 pCi/L of uranium (see description for other - radioactive waste disposal). 

Other

Abandoned Well

This well type includes the following:

• The well is currently (intentionally or unintentionally) being used for disposal of wastewater, stormwater or other fluids or has the potential to do so because of being damaged or in a state of disrepair;
• The borehole that was not properly sealed after the soil collection activities were completed or if the well construction activities were terminated prior to well completion;
• The well is a potential hazard to public health or safety and the situation cannot be corrected; or
• The well has the potential for transmitting contaminants from one aquifer to another (e.g. transfer from unconfined to confined aquifer or unconsolidated to bedrock aquifer, etc.).

UIC Registration and Closure are not required for wells and borings that are properly closed under the regulatory authority that approves the well type as per the regulations covering decommissioning of the well type and prior to contamination entering the well or having the potential to transmit contaminants into an aquifer or between aquifers

Applicants not using eDEP shall use the BRP WS06d UIC Registration for Pre-Closure of Unauthorized Well paper form to register this well type for closure.

Aquaculture Return Flow

This well type is used to dispose of water used for the cultivation of marine and freshwater animals and plants under controlled conditions. If saline in nature it must be discharged into a saline aquifer. If chlorinated the water must be dechlorinated prior to discharge. If the nitrate or nitrite drinking water standards are exceeded in the discharge then the applicant may be required to obtain a Groundwater Discharge Permit. If the application includes plans to inject an additive into the discharge (including additives used to pre-treat the water prior to passing through the system) then the applicant must file for a Ground Water Discharge Permit as per 314 CMR 5.00. If not filing for a Groundwater Discharge Permit then a UIC Registration application is required.

Aquifer Recharge/Recovery

This well type is used to inject water to recharge an aquifer. These wells may have secondary purposes such as saline intrusion prevention or subsidence control. If the primary well purpose is saline intrusion prevention, file as Other - Saline Water Intrusion Barrier Well. If the primary well purpose is subsidence control, file as Other - Subsidence Control Wells). If the proposed discharge includes the use of reclaimed water (as defined in 314 CMR 5.02) then the applicant must file for a Groundwater Discharge Permit. If the application is for a recharge well used exclusively to replenish the water in an aquifer with uncontaminated water (as defined by 314 CMR 5.02) then apply for a UIC Registration application using this category and well type.

Aquifer Remediation

If a well receiving effluent discharge from an aquifer remediation system ("pump & treat" or "nutrient addition" wells) is located on a site currently overseen by MassDEP Waste Site Cleanup Program (WSC) for which Remedial Monitoring Report (RMR) forms are filed, then submittal of a UIC Registration application is not required. This is because the RMR forms serve as an alternate UIC Registration form. If the application is for a well(s) at a site currently overseen by EPA (or a contractor for EPA) then the applicant is required to file a UIC Registration form with the MassDEP UIC Program.

Cesspool (large capacity)

Large capacity cesspools with a design capacity of 2,000 gallons per day are unauthorized in Massachusetts and required the filing of a BRP WS06d UIC Registration for Pre-Closure of Unauthorized Well form to register this well type for closure. This process may be completed through eDEP or by submitting the paper version of this form.

Cesspools are shallow systems for disposing of sanitary waste. Although structures vary, most cesspools consist of a concrete cylinder with an open bottom or perforated sides. Sanitary waste enters the cesspool and percolates out the bottom. Cesspools used by single-family homes or residential or non-residential cesspools receiving solely sanitary waste that have a design capacity of less than 2,000 gallons per day are not required to submit a UIC registration application for closure but are still required to not endanger underground sources of drinking water.

Experimental Technology (Contact UIC Program Prior to Submitting)

This well type is used to test new or unproven technologies. This well type includes experimental "tracer study" wells that are used to inject chemicals and evaluate hydrogeological parameters and ground source heat pump (GSHP) (geothermal) well types not yet included in the MassDEP Guidelines for Ground Source Heat Pump Wells  You should discuss your proposed discharge with the MassDEP UIC Program prior to submitting your application to determine whether your well may be considered under an existing UIC well category and well type.

Non-Contact Cooling Water Return Flow

This well type is used to inject non-contact cooling water that contains no additives (some exceptions) and has not been chemically altered. Non-contact cooling water is used in a cooling system designed to maintain constant separation of the water with process chemicals. Wells that inject contact cooling water or non-contact cooling water that contains additives (e.g., corrosion inhibitors, biocides) or that is contaminated compared to the original source of water are considered "Other - Process Water and Wastewater Disposal" wells. If the flow is greater than 15,000 gallons per day and/or the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and/or the discharge is within 500 feet of a cold water fishery then the applicant must file for a Ground Water Discharge Permit (GDP).

Process Water and Wastewater Disposal

This well type is used to inject/infiltrate into the ground non-hazardous wastewater generated by a variety of industrial, commercial, government, institutional and service establishments. These wells are frequently configured as gravity-fed drywells or as non-sanitary drainage fields that discharge just below the land surface. If the discharge meets the definition of "Industrial Wastewater", "Boiler Blowdown", "Coin-operated Laundromat", "Commercial Car (vehicle) Washing Facility", or "Contact Cooling Water" in 314 CMR 5.02 then the applicant must file a Ground Water Discharge Permit (GDP) application unless specifically listed as exempt in 314 CMR 5.05. Otherwise the applicant should initiate the UIC registration process and MassDEP will determine whether a GDP permit is required. The applicant will be notified if a GDP permit is required.

Radioactive Waste Disposal

This well type includes discharges from treatment systems that intentionally or unintentionally treat water containing radionuclides such as uranium or radon that if the concentration of the discharge exceeds 60 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of radium 226 or radium 228 and/or 300 pCi/L of uranium).

Radioactive waste disposal wells are unauthorized in Massachusetts and applicants are required to file for pre-closure via eDEP or the filing of a BRP WS06d UIC Registration for Pre-Closure of Unauthorized Well paper form to register this well type for closure.

Saline Water Intrusion Barrier

This well type is used to inject water into a fresh water aquifer to prevent the intrusion of salt water into a fresh water aquifer. These wells may have secondary purposes, such as to recharge an aquifer with fresh water to be used later or to control land subsidence. Waters of varying qualities are injected to create salt water intrusion barriers, including untreated surface water, treated drinking water, and mixtures of ground and surface water.

Special Drainage - Includes Groundwater Infiltration (Sump Pump)
Special Drainage - Swimming Pools Only

These well types are used to drain fluids from sources other than direct precipitation. (Wells that receive runoff from direct precipitation are categorized as "stormwater drainage" wells.) This well type includes discharges from potable water tank overflow, pump control valve, public water system pump stations and other similar facilities, construction dewatering, swimming pool drainage, lake level control drainage wells and waters from sump pumps and other ground water infiltration removal systems. Special Drainage Wells receive fluids that cannot be classified as agricultural, industrial, or stormwater. Swimming pool drainage wells are used to drain swimming pool water to the subsurface for seasonal maintenance or special repairs. Dewatering wells are used at construction sites to lower the water table and keep foundation excavations dry. Injectate characteristics vary among the types of special drainage wells.

Subsidence Control

This well type is used to control land sinking or subsidence caused by ground water withdrawals. These wells may have secondary purposes such as aquifer recharge. Waters of varying qualities are injected to control land sinking or subsidence including untreated surface water, treated drinking water, and mixtures of ground and surface water.

Other - Not Included In any of the Above Categories (Contact UIC Program Prior to Submitting)

This well type category is for wells that are currently are not assigned to one of the other well types and are considered to be a normal practice (not an experimental technology). The well type, purpose and injected fluids must be clearly specified in the application. The applicant should contact MassDEP prior to submitting a UIC registration application under this category.