Arizona Well Permits: The ADWR NOI Guide for the Payson Area
Every legal well in Arizona starts with the same piece of paperwork: a Notice of Intent filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Here's exactly what that process looks like for a well in Payson, Star Valley, Pine, or anywhere else in Gila County's Rim Country — from the form you file to what happens if you ever need to decommission a well.
Step One
Filing the Notice of Intent to Drill (Form 55-40)
Before a well can be drilled, deepened, or modified anywhere in Arizona, the well owner or driller has to file a Notice of Intent to Drill, Deepen, Replace or Modify a Well (Form 55-40) with ADWR, along with the required filing fee. This is the legal starting gate for any new well — nothing gets drilled before it's on file.
File the NOI
Form 55-40 goes to ADWR with the filing fee, describing the parcel, intended use, and well details.
ADWR Reviews It
By statute, ADWR has up to 15 days to determine the application is complete and correct.
Approval Packets Go Out
Once approved, ADWR mails packets to both the driller and the well owner, and drilling can begin.
The Clock Starts
An approved NOI is valid for one year. If the well isn't drilled in that window, a new NOI has to be filed.
Who Can Drill
Licensing Rules for Well Drilling in Gila County
Only two categories of people can legally drill, deepen, or modify a well in Arizona: a licensed Arizona well driller, or a single-well licensee — someone licensed to drill or modify one exempt well on their own property. Well driller licensing exams are given at ADWR on the second Friday of every month, and licensing questions go directly to ADWR.
Exempt Wells
An "exempt" well pumps under 35 gallons per minute for domestic use on a parcel smaller than 5 acres — the category most residential wells in Payson and the surrounding Rim Country fall into.
Non-Exempt Wells
A "non-exempt" well pumps 35 gallons per minute or more, typically for irrigation or commercial use, and requires an NOI regardless of parcel size.
The Local Layer
Gila County's Site-Plan Review for New Wells
ADWR isn't the only agency in the process. Gila County's Environmental Health Services Division reviews well site plans — including septic setback compliance — as part of the local approval that feeds into the ADWR NOI. One rule to know before you site a well anywhere in Payson, Star Valley, Pine, or Strawberry: wells must be sited at least 100 feet from septic tanks and sewage disposal areas. Check with Gila County's health department before finalizing where a new well goes, not after. ADWR also maintains a parcel lookup tool for Gila County wells that's worth checking before you buy raw land.
When a Well Reaches the End
How Well Abandonment Works Under Arizona Rules
Sometimes a well needs to be permanently taken out of service — replaced by a new well, or no longer needed. Arizona has a specific process for that, governed by Arizona Administrative Code R12-15-801 through 816:
- File a Notice of Intent to Abandon a Well (Form 55-38) with ADWR before starting.
- ADWR mails an abandonment card to the licensed driller or licensee handling the work.
- The well is filled from the bottom to 20 feet with cement grout, concrete, bentonite, or clean sand — with the annular space outside the casing sealed too, so the old well can't act as a channel for water to move vertically underground.
- A cement grout plug is set from the top down to at least 20 feet below the land surface.
- ADWR must be notified in writing within 30 days of completing the abandonment.
We Handle This Part
Permitting, Handled — So You Don't Have To Chase Paperwork
Filing the NOI, coordinating with Gila County's site-plan review, and staying inside ADWR's timelines is exactly the kind of thing that trips up a DIY drilling project. When you work with us for water well drilling in Payson or Star Valley, the ADWR Notice of Intent is filed as a standard part of the job — not an add-on you have to manage yourself. If you're earlier in the process and just weighing whether drilling makes sense, our water well drilling page covers the full picture, and our well drilling cost guide covers typical pricing.
Common Questions
ADWR Permit Questions From Rim Country Well Owners
What permit do I need before drilling a well in Arizona?
A Notice of Intent to Drill, Deepen, Replace or Modify a Well, ADWR Form 55-40, must be filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources along with the filing fee before any drilling, deepening, or modification work begins. The work itself must be performed by a licensed Arizona well driller, or by a single-well licensee drilling on their own property.
How long does ADWR take to approve a well permit?
By statute, ADWR has up to 15 days to determine whether a Notice of Intent application is complete and correct. Once it's approved, packets go out to the driller and the well owner.
How long is a well drilling permit valid in Arizona?
An approved Notice of Intent is valid for one year from approval. If drilling doesn't happen within that year, a new Notice of Intent has to be filed.
How do you properly abandon a well in Arizona?
File a Notice of Intent to Abandon a Well, ADWR Form 55-38, before the work starts. The well is then plugged with cement grout, concrete, bentonite, or clean sand per ADWR specifications, with a cement grout plug set from the top down to at least 20 feet below the surface, under rules in Arizona Administrative Code R12-15-801 through 816. The person completing the abandonment must notify ADWR in writing within 30 days of finishing the work.
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