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FOREWORD Our ground water resources are becoming increas- ingly important to all Californians. In an ordinary year, about 40 percent of the water used in the State is derived from underground sources. During the 1976-77 drought, however, that figure rose to 53 percent. To ensure the continued utility of our underground resources, they must be protected. Standards for both the construction of water wells and the destruction of abandoned wells can help protect ground water quality. Furthermore, deficiencies in the design and construction of wells usually result in higher operating and maintenance costs. The establishment and implementation of well standards in an area provide more assurance that wells are likely to require less maintenance and will have longer useful lives. Since the initial printing of these standards in February 1968, 30 counties and 132 cities have enacted ordinances, based on Bulletin 74, governing the construction, alteration, and destruction of all water wells within their boundaries. (At that time, three other counties already had ordinances in effect.) These ordinances specify that water wells be constructed, or destroyed when their useful lives are over, in accordance with the guidelines contained in the Department of Water Resources' standards. Changes in the field of well construction (methods, equipment and materials), together with the experiences of applying the 1968 standards, warrant revising and updating them. As a result, this new edition is being issued. Counties and cities that have not yet done so are urged to consider enacting well construction standards to protect the quality of ground water supplies for the benefit of their citizens. Where standards are in effect, consideration should be given to revising them to reflect the modifications presented in this bulletin. l Ronald B. Robie, Director Department of Water Resources The Resources Agency