Effective January 1, 1994, a person may not participate in the physical construction of a water well for compensation or any public drinking water well unless licensed under this section. After final adoption of initial rules pursuant to subsection 2-A, a person may not participate in the physical construction of a geothermal heat exchange well for compensation unless licensed under this section. [PL 2009, c. 153, §16 (AMD).] 1. Fees. The commission shall establish license fees sufficient to recover reasonable costs of administering this chapter, including costs associated with the development and administration of examinations. License fees are not required for apprentice well driller or apprentice pump installer licenses. [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (AMD).] 2. Licensure. Except as provided in subsection 2-A, an applicant for licensure shall submit to the commission, on a form provided by the commission, a written application for licensure containing such information as the commission requires. A person who holds a valid license as provided for in this section must be in the charge of a licensed well drilling company or pump installation company in order to actively practice well drilling or pump installation, repair or replacement. A company license is valid only while the company employs at least one licensed master well driller for a well drilling company or one master pump installer for a pump installation company. The commission shall license an applicant for well driller licensure as either a master well driller or a journeyman well driller and applicants for pump installer licensure as either a master pump installer or a journeyman pump installer, based on the following criteria. A. A master well driller must have a minimum of 3 years experience in well drilling and have worked an average of 1,000 hours per year as a journeyman well driller for each of those years. [PL 1993, c. 25, §10 (AMD); PL 1993, c. 25, §15 (AFF).] B. A journeyman well driller must have at least one year experience in well drilling and have worked at least 1,000 hours during that year as an apprentice well driller. [PL 1993, c. 25, §10 (AMD); PL 1993, c. 25, §15 (AFF).] C. A master pump installer must have a minimum of 3 years experience as a pump installer and have worked at least 350 hours as a pump installer during each of those years. [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (AMD).] D. [PL 1993, c. 25, §10 (RP); PL 1993, c. 25, §15 (AFF).] E. A journeyman pump installer must have at least one year experience in pump installing and have worked at least 350 hours during that year as an apprentice pump installer. [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (NEW).] F. A well drilling company must be issued a license upon presentation to the commission of a valid master well driller license issued to and held by the owner or an employee of the firm, partnership or corporation. [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (NEW).] G. A pump installation company must be issued a license upon presentation to the commission of a valid master pump installer license issued to and held by the owner or an employee of the firm, partnership or corporation. [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (NEW).] The commission shall license a well driller or pump installer applicant who is not eligible for licensure under paragraphs A to E as an apprentice. [PL 2009, c. 153, §17 (AMD).] 2-A. Geothermal heat exchange well drillers and geothermal heat exchange well pump installers; licensure. The commission shall adopt rules establishing a licensing structure for geothermal heat exchange well drillers and geothermal heat exchange well pump installers. The rules may allow licensure by endorsement. After adoption of the initial rules, rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The initial rules must be adopted through major substantive rulemaking as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The commission shall consult with appropriate departments and agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection, during the rule-making process. [PL 2009, c. 153, §18 (NEW).] 3. Term of license. Well drillers, geothermal heat exchange well drillers, geothermal heat exchange well pump installers and pump installers must be licensed annually. All licenses expire on December 31st of each year. Any person who is a well driller or pump installer on the effective date of this Act is deemed to be licensed. [PL 2009, c. 153, §19 (AMD).] 4. Examinations. After January 1, 1994, a person must successfully complete a written examination administered by the commission in order to: A. Initially be licensed as a journeyman or master pump installer or as a journeyman or master well driller; [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (AMD).] B. Upgrade from an apprentice to a journeyman well driller or an apprentice to a journeyman pump installer; and [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (AMD).] C. Upgrade from a journeyman to a master well driller or a journeyman to a master pump installer. [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (AMD).] A person licensed under chapter 49 as a master plumber is not required to complete an examination to perform the work of a pump installer. [PL 2001, c. 209, Pt. B, §10 (AMD).] 4-A. Examinations for geothermal heat exchange well drillers and geothermal heat exchange well pump installers. After final adoption of initial rules pursuant to subsection 2-A, the commission may require a person to successfully complete a written examination administered by the commission in order to be licensed as a geothermal heat exchange well driller or a geothermal heat exchange well pump installer. [PL 2009, c. 153, §20 (NEW).] 5. Waiver. Notwithstanding this section, in cases in which the commission finds the presence of exigent circumstances, the commission may grant a waiver of the requirements of this section and may authorize: A. A person who has 5 years or more of well drilling experience of at least 1,000 hours in each of those 5 years under the supervision of a master well driller to sit for the master well driller examination under subsection 4 and to be licensed as a master well driller; and [PL 2007, c. 207, §1 (NEW).] B. A person who has 5 years or more of pump installation experience of at least 350 hours in each of those 5 years under the supervision of a master pump installer to sit for the master pump installer examination under subsection 4 and to be licensed as a master pump installer. [PL 2007, c. 207, §1 (NEW).] [PL 2007, c. 207, §1 (NEW).]
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