Notice to Iowa Certified Well Contractors - Updated March 30, 2021
After taking this last year to review the situation, we have seen a number of conferences and continuing education unit (CEU) opportunities resume, but with online or virtual attendance required. Due to these circumstances, the decision was made to reinstate CEU requirements for the current renewal period, 2020-2022. However, the required number of CEU credits for the 2020-2022 renewal period will be reduced by half. Well drillers will need to earn 0.8 CEUs (8 contact hours) and pump installers will need to earn 0.5 CEUs (5 contact hours) by March 31, 2022.
The CEU requirements for the 2022-2024 renewal period will return to normal (drillers – 1.6 CEU’s or 16 contact hours; pump installers – 1.0 CEUs or 10 contact hours).
To check how many CEU contact hours have been submitted by training entities on your behalf or by you, please use the following web link
Iowa DNR Operator Certification Database
Well Contractor COVID-19 Resources by The National Groundwater Association
Information About Well Contractor Certification
In Iowa, all work that meets the definition of "well services" as found in Iowa law and Iowa Administrative Code must be performed by an Iowa DNR Certified Well Contractor, or by the land owner.
The goal of the Iowa DNR Well Contractor Certification program is to help ensure the groundwater professionals you hire meet minimum levels of work experience and knowledge. This experience and knowledge requirement means that the individual performing the work understands what basic protections are required by law and rule, and how their work impacts the safety of the drinking water supplies used by citizens, communities, and industry.
If the land owner hires anyone to perform the well services, the individual must be an Iowa DNR Certified Well Contractor and the certified contractor must be on-site at all times any well service is taking place.
If a land owner performs their own well services, the owner must physically perform the work themselves - they cannot hire, pay or barter with another individual or non-certified company to perform the actual well service. Landowners must follow the same well laws and rules that certified professional well contractor follow.
The term "well services" includes but is not limited to:
- All well construction, reconstruction, renovation and rehabilitation of both private and public water supply wells - including irrigation wells,
- All water well test holes and test wells, installation of dewatering wells, and all wells needed for groundwater monitoring and observation,
- Installation of vertical or horizontal ground heat exchange (GHEX)loop borehole systems,
- And installation and repair of all well pumping and distribution systems - including but not limited to pressure tanks and pressure switches,
- Plugging of all types of water wells.
For additional information regarding the definition of "well services" along with the other well program definitions found in the Iowa well rules, please see the Private Well Program
definitions document.