Water Well Contractor ($30,000) Bond - Georgia Dept. of Environmental Protection in Georgia

Brief Summary

Georgia's Water Well Standards Advisory Council will not issue or renew a water well contractor license until EPD confirms your $30,000 performance bond or letter of credit is acceptable. A surety bond avoids tying up a bank letter of credit, is written on EPD's own template, and runs to the same June 30 date your license expires.

Every licensed water well contractor in Georgia must provide a performance bond or irrevocable letter of credit to the Director of the Environmental Protection Division under O.C.G.A. 12-5-135. EPD's current application and 2025-2027 bond template set the amount at $30,000 for water well contractors, within a statutory cap of $75,000. The bond runs to June 30 of the odd year when the license expires, and EPD can raise it after valid complaints.

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How to Apply for a Water Well Contractor ($30,000) Bond:

• Meet the Council's licensing requirements and receive approval for a water well contractor license.
• Have the contractor's or business's legal name exactly as it will appear on the license.
• Complete the bond application and review the quoted premium.
• Have the surety execute EPD's Performance Bond for Water Well Contractors for $30,000, running to June 30 of the license expiration year.
• Send the completed bond with the application and license fee to GA EPD in Tifton.
• Renew the bond or file a Notice of Continuation with each two year license renewal.

Detailed Information About the Georgia Water Well Contractor ($30,000) Bond:

Who the bond is actually made out to

There is no Georgia "Department of Environmental Protection." Water wells are regulated by the Environmental Protection Division, part of the Department of Natural Resources, under the Water Well Standards Act, O.C.G.A. 12-5-120 et seq. Licenses are issued by the Water Well Standards Advisory Council. EPD's bond template names the obligee as the Director of the Environmental Protection Division, Department of Natural Resources, State of Georgia.

The amount and how it can change

O.C.G.A. 12-5-135 requires a performance bond or letter of credit from any water well contractor or driller, in an amount the director sets, not to exceed $75,000. Rule 770-3-.01 repeats the $75,000 cap. EPD's application and current template set it at $30,000 for water well contractors. Pump contractors hold a separate certificate with a $20,000 bond.

The Council's fee and penalty table ties the bond to complaints:

• Two valid complaints in 12 months: bond doubled for four years
• More than two valid complaints in 12 months: bond raised to $75,000 for four years
• Five or more valid complaints in 24 months: bond raised to $75,000 for ten years, plus a re-exam

Term and filing

All water well contractor licenses expire on June 30 of odd-numbered years. The current template runs to June 30, 2027, and the surety must give the Director 60 days' written notice before ending the bond. A Notice of Continuation with the June 30, 2027 date was also accepted at the last renewal. The bond is conditioned on the contractor faithfully complying with the procedures and standards set by the Act, and the director may draw on it to correct deficiencies after written notice. Completed forms go to GA EPD, 531 Main St., Suite D, Tifton, Georgia 31794.

A business with several licensees may file one blanket bond or blanket letter of credit for all of them, within the same $75,000 cap.

Fees

The new application fee is $100. The license fee is $400 if more than one year of the cycle remains, or $200 if one year or less remains, payable to the Department of Natural Resources. Late renewal costs $250 from 46 days to 3 months late and $500 from 3 to 6 months. Restoring a license expired more than 6 months costs $650.

Who does not need a license

Under O.C.G.A. 12-5-131.1 a person may drill a well on property that is his or her primary residence. O.C.G.A. 12-5-127(f) also excludes a well on one's own or leased land for a single-family permanent residence or for farming on one's own farm, producing less than 25,000 gallons per day and not serving the public. Drilling on property held for resale requires a license.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Georgia Water Well Contractor ($30,000) Bond:

• Obligee: Director of the Environmental Protection Division, Department of Natural Resources, State of Georgia.
• Bond amount of $30,000, or the higher amount EPD sets after valid complaints, never above $75,000.
• An insurance company authorized to issue such bonds in Georgia.
• An irrevocable letter of credit from an approved bank is accepted instead of a bond.
• 60 days' written notice to the Director before the surety can end the bond.
• Coverage through June 30 of the odd year when the license expires.

Georgia Water Well Contractor ($30,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Georgia Water Well Contractor ($30,000) Bond: