(A) Permit requirements.
(1) Before commencement of construction of a well, a well owner shall obtain a written permit signed by the Health Officer, and the permit shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises prior to the commencement of work thereunder.
(2) The application for such permit shall be made on a form provided by the County Health Department, which applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications and other information as deemed necessary by the Health Officer.
(3) A permit fee in accordance with the most updated fee ordinance shall be paid to the Health Department at the time the application is filed. The Health Department shall apply a portion of the permit fee for the use and purpose of laboratory expenses in processing the application.
(4) Such permit shall be void if the installation is not completed in two years.
(5) In emergency situations, the well driller may drill the well prior to obtaining his or her permit, but the water from such well shall not be used for human consumption until the application for the permit has been filed, permit secured and well inspected and approved. In such emergency situations, the applicant for the well permit shall notify the Health Officer by telephone of the pending well installation prior to such installation. The well permit shall be obtained within 24 hours of the regularly scheduled work day after the start of the emergency installation.
(6) The installer shall not commence work on the private well until the owner has provided a copy of the permit to the installer.
(B) Separation distances.
(1) The separation distances as followed:
Sources of Contamination | Distance |
Sources of Contamination | Distance |
A well must be cased to a depth of at least 25 feet below the natural ground surface* | |
Independent clear water drain; septic system perimeter drain; rainwater downspout; cistern; hydrant drain; or building foundation drain | 10 feet |
Pit privy (a privy that has brick-, block-, or stone-lined pit walls); manure pile; manure holding tank; silage pit; dry well; seepage pit or trench; or cesspool | 100 feet |
Property lines** | 50 feet |
Sanitary or storm sewer not constructed of waterworks grade ductile iron, cast iron or PVC pipe with mechanical or push-on joints | 50 feet |
Septage or treated sludge disposal area; wastewater absorption; storage, retention or treatment pond; ridge and furrow waste disposal site; or spray irrigation waste disposal site | 500 feet |
Stable; animal bam or feeding pen; milk house; livestock run; or silo | 50 feet |
Stream; lake or pond shoreline; below-ground swimming pool; open ditch or other waterway; sanitary or storm sewer constructed of waterworks grade ductile iron, cast iron or PVC pipe with mechanical or push-on joints | 25 feet |
Surface or subsurface stored chemicals such as gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, fertilizer, pesticides and the like | 100 feet |
Uncovered salt storage | 1,500 feet |
Watertight grease basin; septic tank; wastewater holding tank; absorption field; all pipes and tanks associated with an on-site sewage system that holds or conveys sewage; constructed wetland; sewage lift station; or sanitary vault privy (a privy that utilizes a solid wall wastewater holding tank) | 50 feet |
*If the well casing terminates less than 25 feet from below natural grade, or if the well penetrates crevices or highly porous formations, at a minimum, the distances listed in above table should be doubled | |
**For properties subdivided prior to the passing of this chapter, the separation distance to property lines shall be 15 feet | |
(2) The public drinking water system shall conform to the separation distances as prescribed by the State Department of Environmental Management.
(C) Process.
(1) The installer shall inform the Health Department at least 48 hours prior to the installation of any new well.
(2) No water can be used for human consumption after the installation of a well until the Health Department has sampled same and determined it to be fit for human consumption.
(3) All well construction must be in accordance with the State Department of Natural Resources rule, 312 I.A.C. 13 et seq.
(4) The installer shall, 30 days after the completion of the installation of the new water well, provide to the Health Department and the owner of the property a copy of the well record submitted to the State Department of Natural Resources.
(D) Contamination.
(1) The use of a well for disposal of sewage or other material which may pollute the potable underground water is prohibited.
(2) If a well is used for the purpose of returning uncontaminated water to the ground, consideration shall extend to thermal as well as bacterial factors and the plans for the well that is to be so used must be submitted to and be approved by the Health Officer, the State Board of Health and the Division of Water of the Department of Natural Resources of the state.
(E) Installer requirements.
(1) All well drillers and installers shall be in compliance with 312 I.A.C. 13.
(2) All installers shall be registered and bonded with the county.
(Ord. 2017-12, passed 8-7-2017) Penalty, see § 52.99