The following words shall have the meaning provided in this chapter:
ABANDONED AND ABANDONMENT. The terms "abandoned" or "abandonment" shall apply to a well which has not been used for a period of one year, unless the owner declares in writing, to the Director his intention to use the well again for supplying water or other associated purpose (such as a monitoring well or injection well) and receives approval of such declaration from the Director. All such declarations shall be renewed annually and at such time be resubmitted to the Director for approval. Test holes and exploratory holes shall be considered abandoned twenty-four hours after construction work has been completed, unless otherwise approved by the Director.
ABATEMENT. The construction, reconstruction, repair or destruction of a well so as to eliminate a nuisance caused by a well polluting or contaminating ground water, or otherwise jeopardizing the health or safety of the public.
AGRICULTURAL WELL. A water well used to supply water for irrigation or other agriculture purposes, including so-called stock wells.
CALIFORNIA WELL STANDARDS, COMBINED, means the most recent published standards for wells released as "final" or "final draft" standards by the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) at the time an application for a permit for a well is submitted to the Department, as amended by Article 3 of this Chapter. As of August 2019, the combined standards were as set out in adopted DWR Bulletin 74-81 as modified and supplemented by "Final Draft Bulletin 74-90, California Well Standards: Water Wells, Monitoring Wells, Cathodic Protection Wells; Supplement to Bulletin 74-81, January 1990," with amendments as set out in Article 3. A combined text can be found at http://wdl.water.ca.gov/well_standards/well_standards_content.html.
CATHODIC PROTECTION WELL. Any artificial excavation in excess of 20 feet constructed by any method for the purpose of installing equipment or facilities for the protection, electrically, of metallic equipment in contact with ground. (See definitions of deep anode bed and shallow anode bed.)
COMMERCIAL WELL. A water well used to supply a single commercial establishment.
COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY WELL. A water well used to supply water for domestic purposes in systems subject to Chapter 7 of Part 1 of Division 5 of the California Health and Safety Code.
CONSTRUCT, RECONSTRUCT (CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION). To dig, drive, bore, drill or deepen a well, or to reperforate, remove, replace, or extend a well casing.
CONTAMINATION. Any action that causes impairment to the quality of water or creates a risk to public health through the use of the water.
DEEP ANODE BED. Any cathodic protection well more than 50 feet deep.
DEPARTMENT. The Department of Environmental Health and Quality.
DESTRUCTION. The proper filling and sealing of a well that is no longer useful so as to assure that the ground water is protected and to eliminate a potential physical hazard.
DIRECTOR. The Director of Environmental Health of San Diego County or their designee.
ELECTRICAL GROUNDING WELL. Any artificial excavation in excess of 20 feet constructed by any method for the purpose of establishing an electrical ground.
GEOTHERMAL HEAT EXCHANGE WELL. Any uncased artificial excavation, by any method, that uses the heat exchange capacity of the earth for heating and cooling, in which excavation the ambient ground temperature is 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) or less, and which excavation uses a closed loop fluid system to prevent the discharge or escape of its fluid into surrounding aquifers or other geologic formations. Geothermal heat exchange wells include ground source heat pump wells. Such wells or boreholes are not intended to produce water or steam.
INDIVIDUAL DOMESTIC WELL. A water well used to supply water for domestic needs of an individual residence or systems having four or fewer service connections.
INDUSTRIAL WELL. A water well used to supply an industry on an individual basis.
MODIFICATION, REPAIR OR RECONSTRUCTION. The deepening of a well or the reperforation or replacement of a well casing and all well repairs and modifications that can affect the ground water quality.
MONITORING WELL. A well used for monitoring or sampling the conditions of ground water or a water-bearing aquifer, such as water pressure, depth, movement, concentration of contaminants or quality.
NUISANCE. The term "nuisance," when applied to a well, shall mean any well which threatens to impair the quality of ground water or otherwise jeopardize the health or safety of the public. All such nuisances are violations of this chapter and are public nuisances for purposes of the Public Nuisance Abatement Procedure, set out in Chapter 2 of Division 1 of Title 6 of this code.
ORDER OF ABATEMENT. Both mandatory and prohibitory orders requiring or prohibiting one or more acts; said term shall also include those orders effective for a limited as well as an indefinite period of time, and shall include modifications or restatements of any order.
PERMIT. A written permit issued by the Director permitting the construction, reconstruction, destruction, or abandonment of a well.
PERSON. Any person as defined in Section 12.115 of this code, and the State of California and any department or agency thereof to the extent permitted by law.
POLLUTION. An alteration of the quality of water to a degree which unreasonably affects (1) such waters for beneficial uses, or (2) facilities which serve such beneficial uses. Pollution may include contamination.
RESPONSIBLE PARTY. Any person who has, or who has contracted or otherwise caused to have, a monitoring well constructed, repaired, reconstructed or destroyed.
SALT WATER (HYDRAULIC) BARRIER WELL. A well used for extracting water from or injecting water into the underground as a means of preventing the intrusion of salt water into a fresh water-bearing aquifer.
SHALLOW ANODE BED. Any cathodic protection well more than 20 feet deep but less than 50 feet deep.
TEST OR EXPLORATORY HOLE. An excavation used for determining the nature of underground geological or hydrological conditions, whether by seismic investigation, direct observation or any other means.
WELL. Any artificial excavation constructed by any method for the purpose of extracting water from or injecting water into the underground, for providing cathodic protection or electrical grounding of equipment, for making tests or observations of ground water conditions, for using the heat exchange capacity of the earth for heating and cooling, or for any other similar purpose. Wells shall include, but shall not be limited to, community water supply wells, individual domestic wells, commercial wells, industrial wells, agricultural wells, monitoring wells and salt water (hydraulic) barrier wells, as defined herein, geothermal heat exchange wells and other wells whose regulation is necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter.
Wells shall not include: (a) oil and gas wells, geothermal wells or other wells constructed under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Conservation, except those wells converted to use as water wells; (b) wells used for the purpose of dewatering excavations during construction, or stabilizing hillsides or earthy embankments;(c) test or exploratory holes; or (d) other wells whose regulation is not necessary to fulfill the purpose of this chapter as determined by the Director.
(Amended by Ord. No. 7428 (N.S.), effective 2-4-88; amended by Ord. No. 8477 (N.S.), adopted 11-8-94, operative 1-1-95; amended by Ord. No. 8815 (N.S.), effective 7-22-97; amended by Ord. No. 10238 (N.S.), effective 1-4-13; amended by Ord. No. 10536 (N.S.), effective 7-1-18; amended by Ord. No. 10642 (N.S.), effective 1-10-20; amended by Ord. No. 10709 (N.S.), effective 1-15-21)
Cross reference(s)--Definitions, § 12.101 et seq.