Water drilling
Once you have a bore work permit, you will need to engage a Northern Territory (NT) licensed driller and give them a copy of your permit.
Find out below your roles and responsibilities before you start any bore work.
Before you drill a bore
Drillers need to follow these steps before drilling a water bore:
Step 1. Get a registered number (RN) from your regional Water Resources office. Your RN is unique. You must display it on the bore and include it on the statement of bore form.
Step 2. If you're drilling in a water control district, you must follow the conditions on your bore work permit.
Step 3. Fill in and submit a statement of bore to Water Resources for each bore within 28 days of completion.
Step 4. Submit strata and water samples to Water Resources for each bore within 28 days of completion.
Unless you have an exemption on the bore work permit, you need to:
- secure a 250g strata sample in sealed bags of each change in strata observed in the bore
- take one litre water samples from each water-bearing bed found in the bore.
Responsibilities
As a bore driller, you have all of the following responsibilities before you begin drilling:
- make sure the drilling is legal
- bore design needs to suit the hydrogeological conditions, protect the aquifer, suit the purpose of the bore and meet the client's needs
- the bore needs to be constructed by a qualified driller that has experience and relevant class of licence and endorsement
- a bore needs to be located to meet separation needs and provide a reliable and useful water supply
- get all information on the hydrogeological conditions in the area
- water bores should be a safe distance from possible sources of contamination, or designed and built to stop contamination
- make sure the location meets any conditions in the bore permit
- collect formation samples to work out the nature and type of strata and to confirm any changes in the formation
- choose drilling fluids that help the drilling process, remove cuttings from the borehole and limit damage to formations
- don't add chemicals and other drilling fluid that can leave a residual toxicity to any drilling fluids or cement slurries such as grout.
Read more about responsibilities during and after construction.
Licence classes and endorsements
The licence class a driller needs depends on the kind of underground water system they will be working with.
Read about licence classes and endorsements.