In furtherance of the purposes of this Chapter, it shall be the policy of the City, in exercise of its powers to provide for the public health, safety and welfare, that all wells existing on the effective date of this Chapter, and those constructed or altered thereafter, be used in such a manner as to:
A. Conserve and protect the geothermal fluids and ground water within and adjacent to the City, in order to enhance reservoir productivity and benefit; prevent wasteful extraction and disposal of geothermal fluids and thermal ground water; prevent geothermal fluid and thermal ground water temperature degradation; maintain stable static levels of geothermal fluids and thermal ground waters; prevent thermal pollution of surface environs and waters; and prevent harmful intermixing of geothermal fluids or thermal ground water with nonthermal ground waters;
B. Allow continued individual inhabitant utilization of geothermal fluids and thermal ground water for residential, commercial, industrial, and other legitimate beneficial purposes;
C. Increase and disseminate the scientific knowledge of geothermal and ground water resources; and
D. Protect the public health, safety, and welfare from improperly constructed, operated, maintained, or abandoned wells.
(Ord. MC-298, 8-17-83)