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Monday, February 2, 2026

[Test] The Driller's Digest — Volume 22, Winter

NC Well Contractors Certification Commission
Feb 2, 2026

In This Issue

Message from the Chairman

Good day to all!  The Drillers Digest is a means of sharing information that NCWCC staff and this commission hope will make all of us better informed certified well contractors in this great state!

I would like to first say thank you to Chris Deal for his service to the NCWCC and especially his time and talents in serving as chairman! Thank Chris sometime with a note, call, text or just shaking his hand at an event as he is just like all us just wanting to make things better.

So how does this environmental guy wind up being chairman of this commission? Well I can thank many along the way to this point, but my origin in this groundwater industry lies more with my father-in-law, William "Bill" Bright, a professional geologist retiring from the NC Ground Water Section and starting an environmental consulting company, dealing with contamination issues primarily with the underground storage tank industry. I soon became his first employee, learning and listening, going to every course or class I could find to attend. Drilling or let me clarify, augering, then hollow stem augering, then geoprobing were our early work, as we were involved in the first third party liability case/investigation of a public water supply well system associated with a leaking UST system, to working on doing ground water investigations associated with the emerging commercial hog industry in northeastern NC. We diversified in our services and grew in our abilities. I am very thankful for this ability to meet many good folks along the way in the ground water businesses that sustains so much in this state.

So lets get you all up to speed. We have a great group of commissioners and staff, who all bring different talents and abilities that will help make us better. Thanks to each of them for their service and dedication, but especially welcome to David Hutson and Billy Yow for coming back on board to help make us better. Both are on return trips from previous service yet are willing to bring breaths of new air into what we need to do and with a new focus on a commission working on your behalf.

So why not ramp things up some, make us more accountable to you by agreeing in 2026 to increase our commissioner meetings to every other month, so on Jan. 13, 2026, we will have our first meeting of the year as a commission. This is to work on things that need more attention in improving our review of things needing discussion, but with follow-up to have completion of that discussion from a prior meeting. Our review and disciplinary meetings begin this month, December 2025, by meeting each month, on the same date to cover all that needs to be accomplished, increasing our responses and actions back to the licensed well contractors of this state or potential new licensed drillers. I have asked to include myself and any other commissioners to be more intentional in attending any meetings, at the local, county or state level to be as visible as we can be, but to be available for questions or comments to these groups, to hear from the sources of ways to make us better or overall improvement of what we need to do for not only the well contractors but to the public, who benefit from our ability to be better in our service.

My belief is this is much more than words. I truly believe each member of this commission is willing to improve in the areas we are being tasked, as that will make our industry better for everyone in North Carolina.

This commission is about us having a short time to do the things we can do to improve our actions, making it a positive for many.    

Reach out to any of us, be respectful, informative and we will welcome your compassion to finding a workable solution. As Mr. Chauncey Leggett says, "Better Together."

Thank you for the opportunity in service to this commission.

Thomas Ammons
Chairman, NCWCC

2026 NCGWA Winter Show

Dates: Feb. 5-6, 2026 
Charlotte Motor Speedway

Grouting Notification Requirements for Certified Well Contractors

General Statute 87-97 mandates that Certified Well Contractors must notify the Local Health Department (LHD) of their planned grout time by no later than 9 a.m. on the day grouting is scheduled. This notification is a legal requirement and cannot be disregarded. The obligation to notify applies even if the LHD does not plan to witness the grouting process. It has come to attention that, in some counties, contractors have been told they do not need to call in grout inspections and may self-certify their work. This practice directly violates state law and must be corrected.

Grouting Procedures and Communication

  • Scheduling Grouting: The Certified Well Contractor may choose when to grout as long as all statutory conditions are satisfied.
  • Notification Requirements:
  • The contractor must inform the LHD of the grout time before 9 a.m. on the day of grouting. This communication may be verbal, written or electronic.
  • LHDs must keep documentation of every communication regarding grout time for each well.
  • If a contractor fails to provide timely notice, the LHD should follow up and remind them of their legal responsibility. Persistent noncompliance should be referred to both the SWIFT Team Regional and the N.C. Well Contractors Certification Unit for further action toward compliance.
  • LHDs must never imply or state that drillers are exempt from the notification requirement.
  • Information Provided: Contractors must supply the permit number, well location, and expected grout time when notifying the LHD.
  • Grouting Outside Regular Hours: Grouting may occur after business hours, on weekends, or during holidays, provided proper advance notice is given.
  • For grouting scheduled on a state holiday, notification must be made by the last business day before the holiday.
  • Documentation: Contractors must provide the LHD with a copy of the GW-1 or GW-30 form for all new construction and abandonment activities.
  • Exception for Variance Conditions: Wells permitted under variance conditions require LHD staff to be present for the entire grout process. In such cases, contractors must coordinate with the LHD to arrange a date and time that works for both parties. Local programs are encouraged to make reasonable accommodations to support this coordination.

LHD Authority and Recommendations

While the law permits contractors to proceed with grouting at the scheduled time without waiting for LHD staff to arrive, LHDs retain the authority to witness grout installations, including those performed after hours, on weekends or during holidays. The Branch strongly advises counties to witness as many grout installations as possible. The presence of LHD staff not only promotes public health protection but has also played a crucial role in uncovering issues such as unlicensed individuals performing work and wells that were improperly grouted — situations that have led to significant impacts for property owners.

Importance of Documentation and Collaboration

Maintaining consistent documentation and fostering cooperation between drillers and LHDs are vital. These practices help ensure compliance with regulations, prevent future problems, and protect public health.

Online Payments

Pay It is active and online. You can pay all fees here.

You must submit on paper to office:

  1. Anything that must be notarized — letter of reference and new application
  2. Homeowner Affidavits

Be patient with us. This is new but hopefully it will make your life a lot easier.  

You can still pay with a check or a Money Order. 

No More Printing and Scanning: Most WCC Forms Are Now Online

There’s a welcome change coming to the way certified well contractors and applicants interact with the Commission: many of our most-used forms have been replaced with online, fillable web forms — and some are live now.

This shift is part of an ongoing effort to make interacting with the Well Contractors Certification Commission more efficient, user-friendly and responsive to modern needs.

We Are Moving!

New Location as of January 2026: 65 Moore Drive, Durham, NC 27703

Mailing Address will stay the same: 1653 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699

2026 JUBILEE

Dates: July 25-27, 2026
Continuing Education Available

Enforcement Actions

Revoked License: Timothy Oxendine

Online Payments Now Available

The North Carolina Well Contractors Certification Commission is pleased to announce the launch of online payments — a long-anticipated improvement years in the making. This new feature is designed to increase convenience and save substantial time during the application, examination, and renewal processes. We hope you find it both helpful and efficient.

As with any new system, there are a few important details to keep in mind.

Online Applications

You may now submit applications online, which officially initiates the certification process. At this time, however, we still require the original signed and notarized paper application to be mailed to our office to finalize the process. While this may feel redundant, submitting online allows processing to begin immediately and ultimately helps move applications through the system more quickly.

Examination Fees

Applicants may now pay examination fees online, a particularly useful option when an exam registration window is approaching its deadline.

Online Renewals

Renewals can also be completed online. In addition to being quick and easy, this option provides instant confirmation, giving you immediate peace of mind that your renewal has been successfully submitted.

A Critical Reminder About Accuracy

The online payment system is highly automated. It is essential that all requested information is entered completely and accurately and carefully reviewed before submission. Payments are applied based on the information you provide.

For example, entering “0000” or a fictitious number in place of the last four digits of your Social Security number may result in the payment being applied to the wrong account — or not applied at all. Staff will have limited ability to intervene or correct errors, so please do not take shortcuts when completing your information.

Paying for Multiple Employees

Does your company handle renewals for multiple employees? No problem. Each individual renewal must be entered separately, but you can simply add each person to your cart and complete one single checkout transaction for all of them.

Renewal Notices

Renewal notices will be emailed in April to everyone who has an email address on file. If you do not receive your notice by mid-month, please check your spam or junk folder. If it is still missing, contact our office for assistance.

If you do not have an email address on file, rest assured — a paper renewal notice will still be mailed to you.

We are excited to offer this new service and believe it will make interacting with the Commission more efficient.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support as we move forward with these improvements.

Certification Renewal: What You Need to Know

Certification Expiration: All certifications expire on June 30 of each year.

Timely Submission Matters: We must receive your completed renewal and payment before July 1 to avoid a lapse. A lapse could mean going through the process from scratch – new application and retaking test.

Email Updates: If your email has changed, or if you haven’t provided one before, please contact staff as soon as possible so we can update your file. Employees can change their address online.

Didn’t Receive Your Letter? First, check your Spam or Junk folder — occasionally correspondence ends up there. Still nothing? Reach out to staff and we’ll ensure you get what you need.

Continuing Education Reminder

Continuing Education (CE) is part of annual renewal for the recently certified. The current requirement is:

  • 2 Hours of CE per year during the first three years of certification
    Applies to all certification levels (A, B, C, and D)

If you haven’t submitted your CE hours yet, do so as soon as possible. Submitting your CE late could delay your renewal — and that could mean a disruption to your work.

North Carolina Well Contractors Certification Commission

Telephone: 919-707-5882
Fax: 919-845-3973

Commission Members

Thomas Ammons, NCWC, Chairman 
 Chauncey Leggettt, NCWC - Tarboro
 Douglas Young - Fayetteville
 Chad Julian, NCWC - Olin
 Heather Ray, REHS - Mecklenburg County EH 
 Randy Swicegood, REHS - Davidson County EH
 Billy Yow, NCWC - Greensboro

WCC Staff

L. Bryan Colvard, REHS - 336-528-0409 — bryan.colvard@dhhs.nc.gov 

Cassandra “Casey” Champion, REHS, NCWC - 919-218-3856 — casey.champion@dhhs.nc.gov

NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Water Resources Water Quality Regional Operations Section

Certification Today

Total Number CertifiedTotal Number of Applicants for CertificationCertifications Currently Suspended
1,204850

 

NCDHHS Division of Public Health Environmental Health Section

If you have ideas for future Drillers Digest articles please contact staff at Andrew.morgan@dhhs.nc.gov.

Report Uncertified Well Contractors to the local health department or call 919-707-5882.

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