(A) The installation of new private water wells on any property to which municipal water service is available is prohibited. “Private water wells” shall mean any well not owned by the City which is drilled or installed for the purpose of removing water through mechanical or not mechanical means, excluding water wells drilled for such purposes as dewatering, groundwater monitoring, heating or cooling, elevator borings, or environmental bore holes. For the purposes of this chapter, "available" shall mean that the property is either contiguous to the city street served by municipal water or benefits from an easement that enables service from said city street whereby they could connect to municipal water without further consent from any other landowner.
(B) Private water wells lawfully in existence on March 9, 2015, and private water wells installed subsequent to March 9, 2015, on properties to which municipal water service is not available at the time of installation, may remain in use provided they comply with all applicable regulations, including but not limited to 42 USC § 300f - 300j-26 and M.S. § 144.381 - 144.387, provided private water wells lawfully in existence on March 9, 2015, shall not be expanded.
(C) All new homes or buildings shall connect to the municipal water system if water is available to the property. At the time as municipal water becomes available to existing homes or buildings, a direct connection shall be made to the municipal system within a period of time as determined by the City Council. If the connection is not made pursuant to this chapter, a charge shall be made in an amount established by § 52.51.
(D) Any person owning property upon which there already exists a private water well and is connected to the municipal water system shall ensure there is no means of cross-connection between the private water well and the municipal water supply. Hose bibs that will enable the cross-connection of the two systems are prohibited on internal piping of the private water well system. Where both private and municipal water systems are in use, outside hose bibs shall not be installed on both systems.
(E) The City may at reasonable times enter upon the property on which a private water well exists and make such examinations and investigations as to conditions and sanitation as may be deemed reasonable and necessary by the City to insure and protect the public health of municipal water consumers by the control of actual and/or potential cross-connections. If any person refuses to allow their property to be inspected, the City reserves the right to seek an administrative search warrant in order to conduct the examination or investigation. As an alternative to an examination or investigation by the City, the property owner may obtain an inspection from a professional well inspector, of the property owner's choosing and at the property owner's expense, to ascertain whether there is a prohibited actual and/or potential cross-connection.
(F) If an existing private water well is not to be used after the time a municipal water connection is made, the private water well is to be sealed in accordance to M.S. Ch. 103I and Minn. Rules, Ch. 4725 within 30 days of the connection being made to the municipal water connection.
(Am. Ord. 371, passed 3-9-15) Penalty, see § 10.99