Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors (BOE)
The Board of Examiners (BOE) has general supervision and authority over the construction and abandonment of wells and the installation of pumping equipment with the ability to adopt and revise related rules. BOE has authority to examine for, deny, approve, revoke, suspend, and renew the licenses of applicants and disseminate information to pump installation contractors and well construction contractors in order to protect and preserve the groundwater resources of the state. See the Statutory Duties of the Board of Examiners for additional details.
- Guidance Documents - Formal Directives
- Licensing & Continuing Education
Contractor Licensing
Well drillers and pump installers in Colorado are required to maintain a current license. The State Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors updates the list of licensed contractors on a quarterly basis. Contractors may be licensed for one or more types of construction or installation.
- Licensed Contractor Lists (Currently Licensed)
- Identify Employees Directly Employed by a Licensee (For Contractors Only, Required by BOE Administration Rule 6.1.3)
Licensing Requirements
Contractors who wish to become a licensed water well construction and/or pump installation contractor may follow the links below for licensing procedures.
Licensure Applications & Instructions:
- Contractor License Application
- Contractor Licensing Process
- NGWA Textbooks and Study Guides
- Verification of Employment and Experience
Additional information may be found under the Rules & Regulations section of this page within the BOE Administration Rules, 2 CCR 402-14 (Rules and Regulations For Administration of Licensing, Financial Responsibility, Continuing Education and Remedial Action)
Post Licensure Forms & Instructions:
- Contractor Bond Form
- Final Instructions for Completion of the Licensing Process
- Instructions for Certificate of Deposit
- Letter of Credit
- Rig Registration - Well Construction And/Or Pump Installation
License Renewal - Continuing Education
Senate Bill 03-045 established continuing education requirements for well construction and pump installation license renewal. The Board of Examiners and Colorado Water Well Contractors Association (CWWCA) considers continuing education an important component of the profession’s protection of the groundwater resources and public health of Colorado. Even in this long-standing profession, technology, methods and procedures have evolved rapidly over the last 10 –15 years. Thus, it is imperative that the contractors accessing our most valuable and limited resource have the latest knowledge to protect this state’s groundwater and the public health of its citizens. Continuing education provides the foundation for this knowledge. The continuing education program enacted will be developed through a partnership between the Board of Examiners and CWWCA.
Additional information on continuing education may be found under the Rules & Regulations section of this page within the BOE Administration Rules, 2 CCR 402-14 (Rules and Regulations For Administration of Licensing, Financial Responsibility, Continuing Education and Remedial Action)
Important Links:
- Continuing Education Courses (2024)
- Continuing Education Courses (2023)
- Colorado Statutes Concerning Continuing Education
- Types of Sponsors Concerning Continuing Education
Forms:
- Rules & Regulations
Colorado Ground Water Commission (CGWC)
The Colorado Ground Water Commission is a regulatory and an adjudicatory body authorized by the General Assembly to manage and control groundwater resources within eight Designated Groundwater Basins in eastern Colorado. Designated Basins are areas in the eastern plains with very little surface water, where users rely primarily on groundwater as their source of water supply. The General Assembly has granted the Ground Water Commission authority under Title 37, Article 90 of the Colorado Revised Statutes (Groundwater Management Act) to adjudicate water rights and issue large capacity well permits. Ground Water Management Districts (GWMDs) are local districts that have additional administrative authority within their boundaries. Small capacity wells are administered by the State Engineer (Division of Water Resources).
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Authority & Duties
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The Ground Water Commission is authorized to establish Designated Groundwater Basins pursuant to Section 37-90-106, Colorado Revised Statutes. "Designated Groundwater" is defined as groundwater that is not adjacent to continuously flowing natural streams or would not be available or required for the fulfillment of decreed surface rights. Additionally, the Ground Water Commission has the authority to create Ground Water Management Districts within predetermined designated groundwater basins. The Ground Water Commission has established eight designated basins and thirteen Ground Water Management Districts within such basins.
The Groundwater Management Act gives the Ground Water Commission authority to issue well permits for large capacity wells, enforce permit conditions, approve changes in water rights, issue determinations of a right to an allocation of groundwater in a Denver Basin aquifer, administer designated groundwater rights, issue orders, and adopt necessary rules and policies among other actions. The Ground Water Commission has adopted the Designated Basin Rules to assist in its administration of designated groundwater, which are accessible in the links section below.
The Ground Water Commission also has the authority to conduct adjudicatory hearings. The Ground Water Commission has delegated to its hearing officer cases involving objections to applications and other situations as it may assign, relieving the Ground Water Commission from initial hearing procedures and decisions. The Ground Water Commission may hear or review appeals to the hearing officer’s decisions and acts as final administrative authority. Decisions of the Ground Water Commission may be appealed to the district court in the county where the water right is located.
The Ground Water Commission has delegated most functions to the State Engineer, its ex officio Executive Director (and by extension to staff of the State Engineer’s office that then acts as staff for the Ground Water Commission). Functions that the Ground Water Commission has not delegated to the State Engineer are the determination of designated groundwater basins, the creation of ground water management districts, the adoption of policy, and the approval of variances from rules. Actions of the State Engineer or staff can be appealed to the Ground Water Commission.
Important Links
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Rules & Regulations