Yes, a record has to be filed for abandonment (i.e. removal) , just as it has to be filed when a well is constructed. There are three situations in which an exemption from filing is offered:
- The well is a test hole or dewatering well that is which is being be abandoned within 30 days of initial completion
- The well is not actually being removed but just altered, and the alteration made to the well is minor or involves nothing more than the installation of a pump, or
- All four of the following are true:
i) The well is not more than 3.0m deep
ii) The well is not constructed in a contaminated area
iii) The well is not likely to become artesian
iv) The well does not penetrate a formation which is not an aquifer (such as a confining formation).