Nevada C-23 Drilling Wells Contractor Examination

What work may a Nevada C-23 contractor perform under NAC 624.400?

• AConstruct surface water treatment plants and chlorination buildings
• BInstall and repair water wells, pressure tanks, storage tanks, and pumps by boring, drill…
• CDrill oil, gas, and geothermal production wells and set production packers
• DInstall municipal sewer mains and storm-drain laterals

How does the Nevada C-23 contractor license differ from the Division of Water Resources well-driller license?

• AC-23 replaces the need to follow NAC 534 construction standards
• BThe DWR license authorizes commercial building construction statewide
• CC-23 is the NSCB specialty contractor classification; the DWR license is the State Engine…
• DThey are the same credential issued on one application

Under NAC 534.020, what is annular space?

• AThe open interval of screen below the static water level
• BThe void inside a pressure tank above the waterline
• CThe gap between a pitless adapter and the service line
• DThe space between two cylindrical objects, one surrounding the other, such as between the…

Under NAC 534.220, which penetration is a well?

• AA hole made to measure, test, sample, or produce groundwater, including a water, monitori…
• BAny excavation deeper than 5 feet regardless of purpose
• CA blast hole loaded with explosives for mining
• DA geotechnical soil boring drilled only for engineering properties

Under NAC 534.015, when is a well or borehole considered abandoned?

• AWhen the owner files a change application under NRS 533
• BWhen use is discontinued or it is left in disrepair so that use would be impracticable, m…
• COnly after the State Engineer records a formal deed of abandonment
• DOnly when the pump has been pulled for seasonal storage

If the licensed well driller leaves the drill site while the rig is operating, what must happen under NAC 534.330?

• AWork may continue if the C-23 contractor is reachable by phone
• BOnly sealing and plugging require the licensed driller on site
• CThe drilling operation must be shut down until that licensed driller or another licensed…
• DA helper with two years of experience may keep turning the bit

Before a well rig may be set up to drill, plug, or rehabilitate a well, NAC 534.320 requires what?

• AOnly a verbal call to the county building department
• BOnly a posted card on the property fence
• CNo filing if the well is for domestic use
• DA notice of intent submitted to the Division and Division approval of that notice

After the Division approves a notice of intent, when must the well driller notify the Division in writing before work starts?

• AAt least 24 hours before the work will commence
• BAt least 7 calendar days before mobilizing
• CWithin 24 hours after the first bag of grout is placed
• DOnly if artesian flow is encountered

When does an approved notice of intent lapse under NAC 534.325?

• AOnly if the owner sells the parcel
• BIf drilling, plugging, or rehabilitation is not commenced within 60 days after approval o…
• CAt sunset on the day it is approved
• DOne year after the Well Driller's Report is filed

Within what time must a Well Driller's Report be submitted after drilling, plugging, or rehabilitation is completed?

• A60 days
• B1 year
• C30 days
• D10 days

In a groundwater basin designated by the State Engineer, when may a well driller drill a water well under NAC 534.300?

• AAnytime the landowner signs a handshake agreement
• BAfter posting a bond with the county recorder
• COnly during the irrigation season
• DOnly after determining that a permit to appropriate groundwater or an appropriate waiver…

Absent a waiver, how much water may a Nevada domestic well divert under NAC 534.315?

• ANot more than 2 acre-feet per year for a single-family household, including lawn, garden,…
• BNot more than 5 acre-feet per year for any number of dwellings
• CUnlimited use if the well is less than 100 feet deep
• DNot more than 10 gallons per minute continuous flow

What is the maximum casing diameter for a well drilled for domestic use only under NAC 534.315?

• A16 inches
• B8.625 inches
• C4 inches
• D12 inches

How many wells may supply domestic use for one single-family residence under NAC 534.315?

• AOne irrigation well plus one house well
• BAs many wells as the lot can physically hold
• CWater may not be diverted from more than one well for domestic use in one single-family r…
• DTwo wells if each stays under 1 acre-foot per year

How does NAC 534 distinguish reconditioning a well from rehabilitating a well?

• AThe two terms are defined as identical procedures
• BReconditioning always requires a new water-right permit; rehabilitation never does
• CRehabilitation is limited to chlorination of the pressure tank
• DReconditioning revitalizes the well without a material change in design; rehabilitation i…

Under NAC 534, what happens at 100 demerit points versus 169 demerit points on a well-driller license?

• A100 or more points block license renewal; 169 or more points can bring conditions, suspen…
• B100 points automatically revoke the C-23 contractor license
• C169 points are only a warning letter with no further action
• DDemerit points apply only to monitoring-well drillers

How many continuing-education units must a well driller complete each licensing period under NAC 534.2923?

• ANo continuing education is required after the first license year
• BEight credit units, and at least once in two consecutive renewal periods the units must i…
• CTwo credit units of first-aid training only
• DForty classroom hours of college geology

When does a Nevada State Engineer well-drilling license expire, and by what date must a renewal application be received?

• AExpires on the driller's birthday; renewal is due 90 days later
• BNever expires if the C-23 contractor license is active
• CExpires June 30; renewal application must be received not later than June 15
• DExpires December 31; renewal is due January 31

How must a drill rig be identified under NAC 534.350?

• AOnly a State Engineer decal on the windshield is required
• BIdentification is required only on trucks that leave the county
• CA handwritten cardboard sign in the doghouse is sufficient
• DThe contractor's name and address must be displayed in legible letters at least 3 inches…

Under NRS 534.065, when may a replacement well be sunk without filing an application to change the place of diversion?

• AWhen both sites are on public land or the same owner's property and the replacement is no…
• BWhenever the new hole is on the same section
• COnly if the replacement is deeper than the original well
• DNever; every replacement well needs a new appropriation permit

Where must a notice of intent be submitted under NAC 534.320?

• ATo OSHA because well drilling is a construction activity
• BCarson City if the township is north of the Mount Diablo baseline; Las Vegas if the towns…
• CAlways to the county recorder where the well is located
• DOnly to the Nevada State Contractors Board in Reno

Under the NAC 534.500 demerit table, how many points are assessed for failing construction or plugging standards, such as a bad annular seal or substandard casing?

• A25 demerits
• B5 demerits
• C75 demerits
• D10 demerits

Under NAC 534.047, what is a borehole?

• AAny trench excavated for a water-service line
• BThe interior of a pressure tank
• CA surface pond used to settle drill cuttings
• DA penetration in the ground made in the drilling process that is deeper than the longest…

Under NAC 534.112, which machines are drill rigs?

• APower-driven percussion, rotary, boring, coring, digging, jetting, or augering machines u…
• BOnly truck-mounted rotary rigs with a mud pump
• COnly cable-tool spudders
• DHand-held post-hole diggers used for fence posts

What is conductor casing under NAC 534.080?

• ASurface pad concrete around a monitoring well
• BTemporary or permanent casing used in the upper portion of the borehole to prevent collap…
• CThe innermost production liner set through the aquifer
• DPlastic drop pipe that carries water from the pump

What is development of a well under NAC 534.097?

• AInstalling the pressure tank and switch in the house
• BAbandoning the borehole with neat cement
• CCleaning out materials introduced during drilling before the well is placed in service an…
• DFiling the original water-right application

When may an organic lost-circulation additive be used in a Nevada water well under NAC 534.370?

• AAnytime sawdust or grain is cheaper than bentonite
• BNever; no additive of any kind is allowed
• COnly in monitoring wells
• DOnly if it is certified as appropriate for a potable aquifer under NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard…

If drilling is suspended before the well is completed or plugged, when must the Division be notified under NAC 534.370?

• AWithin 24 hours after drilling is suspended or before the equipment is moved from the sit…
• BWithin 10 days after the crew returns to town
• COnly on the Well Driller's Report filed 30 days later
• DNotification is required only if the hole is artesian

Before constructing a new water well, what investigation does NAC 534.375 require?

• ASkip research if the crew has drilled anywhere in Nevada
• BExamine Well Driller's Reports in the Division database for nearby wells to learn drillin…
• COrder a new aerial topographic flight of the township
• DInterview only the current landowner

If an artesian condition is encountered, what casing and seal measures does NAC 534.378 require?

• ASet only a well screen and gravel pack across the confining bed
• BLeave the annulus open so artesian pressure can equalize
• CUnperforated casing through the confining strata above the artesian zone, with the annulu…
• DPerforate the casing through the confining clay so the artesian water can bleed off

What is an exploratory well under NAC 534.120?

• AAny domestic well drilled for a single-family house
• BA blast hole loaded immediately with explosives
• CA monitoring well used only for vapor extraction
• DA well constructed to determine the availability, quantity, or quality of water, or wheth…

Under NAC 534.048, what is a bridge in a borehole or well?

• AAn obstruction in the annular space caused when the walls collapse or materials jam or we…
• BA steel beam used to support the mast
• CA welded plate between conductor and production casing at the surface
• DThe screened interval that spans two aquifers

When an artesian flow is encountered, when must the flow be completely stopped under NAC 534.378?

• AAfter the owner obtains a surface-water permit
• BBefore the drill rig is removed from the drill site
• CWithin 30 days after the Well Driller's Report is mailed
• DOnly if the flow exceeds 50 gallons per minute

What is the purpose of casing under NAC 534.050?

• ATo replace the need for a sanitary annular seal
• BTo serve as the electrical ground for the pump motor
• CTo prevent waste and contamination of the groundwater and to hold the formation open duri…
• DTo increase the specific capacity by enlarging the borehole

How deep must a Nevada water well be cased under NAC 534.360?

• AOnly through the surface seal interval of 50 feet
• BTo 20 feet below ground surface
• CCasing is optional if competent rock is encountered
• DTo within 10 feet of total depth drilled, or to at least 98 percent of total depth drilled

What steel may be used for well casing under NAC 534.360?

• ANew steel, or clean and sanitary used steel, free of pits and breaks
• BAny rusty oil-field casing regardless of condition
• CGalvanized thin-wall stove pipe
• DPerforated culvert pipe set from ground surface

When may materials other than steel be used as well casing under NAC 534.360?

• ANever; only steel is allowed in any Nevada well
• BWhen well design or subsurface conditions prevent steel and a professional engineer licen…
• CWhenever PVC is cheaper than steel
• DWhen the owner signs a waiver on the invoice

May holes be cut in casing walls to lift and lower the string into the borehole?

• AYes, if they are above the static water level
• BYes, if they are smaller than 1 inch
• CNo. NAC 534.360 prohibits cutting holes in the casing walls for lifting and lowering
• DYes, if the holes are later covered with duct tape

Under the NAC 534.360 steel-casing table, what is the minimum wall thickness for 6-inch nominal casing set from 0 to 100 feet?

• A1/8 inch (0.125 inch)
• B5/16 inch (0.3125 inch)
• C1/2 inch (0.50 inch)
• D3/16 inch (0.188 inch)

How far above ground or finished grade must the top of the casing extend under NAC 534.360?

• AAt least 18 inches
• BFlush with grade
• CAt least 6 inches
• DAt least 5 feet

How must production casing joints be made under NAC 534.360?

• AGlued with PVC cement even on steel pipe
• BThreaded and coupled, or completely welded at least as thick as the casing; spot welds ar…
• CTack-welded in three places and wrapped with tape
• DSlipped together with no fastener if the fit is tight

In a production well, where may perforated or screened casing be placed relative to static water level?

• AScreens are required through the entire sanitary-seal interval
• BPerforations are allowed from 0 to 20 feet to vent the annulus
• CNo perforated or screened section may be placed above the static water level
• DScreens may start at ground surface if the owner agrees

How far must inner casing telescope into the lower end of the adjacent outer casing under NAC 534.360?

• AAt least 6 inches
• BAt least 50 feet
• CNo overlap is required if the sizes differ
• DAt least 8 feet

Which statement about PVC well casing is required by NAC 534.362?

• AIt must be marked as well casing and meet ASTM F480; 6-inch and smaller must be Schedule…
• BAny thin-wall drain pipe may be used if it is white
• CJoints must be solvent-welded for a watertight seal
• DPVC may be used without a steel surface protector

When PVC casing is used, how must the protective steel casing be set under NAC 534.362?

• AProtective steel is optional if the PVC is Schedule 80
• BIt must comply with NAC 534.360 and extend not less than 5 feet inside the sanitary seal…
• CIt may stop at grade with no cap
• DIt must extend to total depth of the well