Groundwater Permit Guidance

This document is provided to serve as a guide to assist in successfully completing the application for a permit to withdraw water and to increase the likelihood of a well that is properly located and completed to your satisfaction.

Please fill in all the sections of the application that are applicable as completely as possible. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call the number at the top of the form. This form is to be filed with the Office of Land and Water Resources (OLWR) before the well is drilled; therefore the information in “Section B” will be estimates. After the well is drilled, the actual well completion information must be submitted to OLWR.

The items that typically delay the permitting process are as follows:

• Forgetting to send in the $10.00 application fee per well.
• Sending in an unusable map to indicate well location.
• The map needs to have, at a minimum, roads, sections-township-range, streams or other identifiable landmarks.

NOTE: Wells must be drilled by a water well contractor licensed in the state of Mississippi.

While it is not a requirement for filing an application and obtaining a Water Use Permit, it may be useful to obtain the assistance of trained professionals, a Registered Professional Geologist (RPG) and/or a Professional Engineer (PE), during the planning stages.

Test holes should always be drilled before a permanent well is drilled. Test holes will allow you to determine if the target aquifer is present and in sufficient thickness to meet your water supply needs. In some instances it may be desirable to actually complete a test well to obtain pumping test information and water quality data.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Land and Water Resources (OLWR) at 601.961.5215 or 601.961.5202 for assistance.