SECTION 331.186. Additional Requirements

(a) The executive director or commission shall consider the following before issuing an individual permit, a general permit, or an authorization by rule for an aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) injection well:

(1) whether the injection of water will comply with the standards set forth under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (42 United States Code, §§300f, et seq);

(2) the extent to which the cumulative volume of water injected for storage in the receiving geologic formation can be successfully recovered from the geologic formation for beneficial use, taking into account that the injected water may be comingled to some degree with native groundwater;

(3) the effect of the ASR project on existing water wells; and

(4) whether the introduction of water into the receiving geologic formation will alter the physical, chemical, or biological quality of the native groundwater to a degree that would:

(A) render the groundwater produced from the receiving formation harmful or detrimental to people, animals, vegetation, or property; or

(B) require an unreasonably higher level of treatment of the groundwater produced from the receiving geologic formation than is necessary for the native groundwater in order to render the groundwater suitable for beneficial use.

(b) Upon completion of an ASR injection well, the following information shall be submitted to the executive director within 30 days of receipt of the results of all analyses and test results:

(1) as-built drilling and completion data on the well;

(2) all logging and testing data on the well;

(3) formation fluid analyses;

(4) injection fluid analyses;

(5) injectivity and pumping tests determining well capacity and reservoir characteristics;

(6) hydrogeologic modeling, with supporting data, predicting mixing zone characteristics and injection fluid movement and quality; and

(7) other information as determined by the executive director as necessary for the protection of underground sources of drinking water.

Source Note: The provisions of this §331.186 adopted to be effective June 28, 1996, 21 TexReg 5443; amended to be effective May 19, 2016, 41 TexReg 3513