A. Geothermal well sites (including any belowground structures) shall not be considered permissible obstructions in the front, side or rear yards in any zoning district and shall observe the setback requirements of the respective zoning district. Equipment, piping and devices shall not be located in any street easement or right of way.
B. Before installing, relocating or modifying the well sites or belowground piping of a geothermal energy system, the property owner shall obtain a site development permit in accordance with title 8 of this code and all necessary Lake County permits. Geothermal systems utilizing wells and buried piping that do not form a "closed loop" system are prohibited in the village. Geothermal energy systems may be installed as horizontal systems with piping buried in shallow trenches (approximately 3 to 6 feet in depth) or as vertical systems, with piping buried in vertical holes. To minimize the risk of groundwater contamination, the heat transfer fluid used in vertical geothermal energy systems shall conform to such rules as the village from time to time may adopt. All underground piping shall be installed using directional drilling methods. (Ord. 12-4-5, 4-3-2012)