Well construction notice of intent

Before you drill a well, you must submit a notice of intent (NOI) to us 72 hours before drilling starts. An NOI is not a permit, certificate, or application for a water right. It also does not represent approval or permission to use water from the well. Once the well is drilled, water may only be withdrawn if it is legally available. The well also needs to be put to beneficial use to establish a "right" to use the water.

Submit a well construction notice of intent

NOI forms can be submitted online:

Pay for your NOI online

To reduce the administrative burden on drilling companies, Ecology is now accepting online payments for NOI fees.

• We collaborated with several drilling companies to develop the new payment process. Our secure EcoEPay online payment system meets all e-commerce standards and best practices.
• NOI applicants can now submit forms and pay fees online. If you need to construct more wells than originally planned, you can pay for additional wells without submitting a change form.
• There are no additional fees for using this system when payments are made using an electronic check or direct account withdrawal. Payments made with a credit or debit card will be charged an additional 3 percent fee.

You can also request a paper version of the form by emailing wclo@ecy.wa.gov.

Related links

• Well construction and licensing
• Water rights

Contact information

Tia (Althea) Untalan
Dam Safety Environmental Specialist
aunt461@ecy.wa.gov
360-999-7120 mobile
360-407-6650 office