Geothermal Water Source Heat Pump Systems may be installed and operated within the City of Grand Island, and its two mile extraterritorial jurisdiction, subject to permitting and other applicable requirements of the Grand Island City Code provided that any discharge of the spent water from any such system shall be dedicated to a beneficial use (i.e. Maintaining the water level of a private pond), and shall not include chemical additives for cleaning or descaling, nor shall it create a threat to public health or safety, a nuisance, or unlawful pollution of waters of the state. In no event shall the spent water from any Geothermal Water Source Heat Pump System be directed toward or allowed to enter into or onto any publicly maintained street right of way, road right of way, ditch, storm sewer system, or sanitary sewer system.
Closed Loop Systems are permitted to be installed and must follow Federal, State, and Local guidelines (whichever are most restrictive). New Open Loop Systems are prohibited in the City of Grand Island and its 2 mile jurisdictional boundary. Any Open Loop System that was previously installed, prior to the implementation of this ordinance, are exempt from these restrictions until the system requires overhaul and/or replacement. It is at that time the new guidelines must be met.
A. Material Requirements.
1. Geothermal piping shall have a 50-year warranty.
2. All piping shall be installed with tracer wire from the structure over all pipes to alert future owners and excavators to the presence and location of the system.
3. Heat transfer fluid used in exchanger lines must be a USP or food grade propylene glycol or calcium chloride solution. Ethylene Glycol
will not be accepted.
4. The system shall include a pressure-based leak detector that will stop the system circulating pumps, should a leak occur.
B. Prohibited Acts.
1. It shall be unlawful for any person to install a well to be used for geothermal heat transfer purposes within the City of Grand Island or its two mile extraterritorial jurisdiction without obtaining a permit for said well.
2. It shall be unlawful to fail to register any well as required by this Article.
3. It shall be unlawful to connect or discharge any water from said well, provided it maintains a beneficial use to the city and/or community, to the city stormwater conveyance system without first obtaining a permit for the connection.
4. It shall be unlawful for a person to operate or maintain a Geothermal Water Source Heat Pump System in any manner contrary to the provisions of Grand Island City Code.