(A) Water wells shall be located in accordance with the distances shown in the table below.
Minimal Horizontal Separation Distances from Water Wells
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Minimal Horizontal Separation Distances from Water Wells
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Commercial sewage disposal systems | 100 feet |
Concrete agricultural waste pits | 50 feet |
Dwelling or other inhibiting structure | 10 feet |
Earthen agricultural waste pits | 200 feet |
Lake, pond, river, stream, or public ditches | 25 feet |
Landfills (presently or previously licensed or permitted by the state) | 600 feet |
Permanently fixed above-ground storage tanks for fuel or chemicals (0-299 gallons) | 25 feet |
Permanently fixed above-ground storage tanks for fuel or chemicals (300 gallons or more) | 50 feet |
Private sewage disposal systems (in soils where aquifers are in danger of contamination) | 100 feet |
Private sewage disposal systems | 50 feet |
Sanitary sewage lagoons | 300 feet |
Sanitary sewage lines (water main grade pipe and fittings) | 10 feet (horizontal) 18 inch (vertical) |
Side, rear, or front lot lines | 5 feet |
Underground storage tanks for fuel or chemicals | 50 feet |
(B) Water well casings shall be a minimum of two inches in diameter.
(C) Water wells shall not be placed in below grade well pits.
(D) The cap of the water well shall be visible and securely attached at a height above the surface of the ground, no greater than two feet and no less than one foot. Minimum well depth shall be 30 feet or more if necessary to enter a satisfactory aquifer. Single suction lines must be 50 feet from the septic tanks and sewage absorption systems. Unless the suction lines are made of water main grade pipe with water main grade fittings.
(E) No annular space may exist. Materials and design for scaling must conform to the standards of the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
(F) Pitless adapters shall be required on each new water well as in accordance with the requirements of the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
(G) All new water wells shall be properly disinfected at the time of installation.
(H) The owner(s) or authorities, or agents thereof, of any parcel of ground unto which a water well is to be installed, or replacement of an existing water well is planned, shall obtain a written permit signed by the Health Officer before any construction begins. The owner shall apply for a permit on a form provided by the Health Officer. The applicant shall supplement the application with plans, specifications, and other information deemed necessary by the Health Officer. The Health Officer shall then make a site review of the area proposed, in person, within two working days of the filed application. The Health Officer will provide drawings of area(s) in which the water well may be placed, to the owner, and well driller. The applicant shall pay a permit and inspection fee of $10, as established under I.C. 16-1-4-24, to the County Health Department at the time the application is filed. The fee shall be accounted for and paid into the County Health Department. The installation or repair of well lines, screens, pump, pressure tanks, and the like are exempted unless a new well is also installed.
(I) No permit for a water well shall become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of the Health Officer. The Health Officer shall be allowed to inspect the work at any stage of construction. The applicant for the permit shall notify the Health Department when the well construction is completed; during the day it was finished or the following weekday. The Health Officer shall make the inspection within two working days of the receipt of notice from the applicant.
(J) The Health Officer shall, upon the request of the applicant, sample and test the new water well for total conform, nitrate/nitrogen, and any other substances as deemed necessary by the Health Officer. The applicant may employ private laboratory personnel, from state-certified labs, to conduct the required test under the direction of the Health Officer. The Health Officer may, in any event, conduct tests deemed necessary by the Health Officer. All final sample results must be within acceptable primary standards as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for public drinking water sources. All fees and charges for water testing shall be the responsibility of the individual property owner.
(K) All water tests shall be ran according to the most recent Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. These test results will be provided in writing to the Health Department within 45 days from the date of well completion. The failure of a water well to meet any of these primary water quality standards will constitute grounds for rejection of the water well by the Health Officer.
(L) The applicant will post the permit in a conspicuous place at or near the building where the water well is under construction. The notice shall be plainly visible from the public thoroughfare nearest this building.
(M) Subdivisions designed to utilize water wells, the plans for which were duly recorded in the office of the County Recorder prior to January 1, 1997, are exempt from the provisions of this subchapter regarding location, and may be located in accordance with the best judgment of the Health Officer.
(N) The water well permit is valid for a term of one year from the date of issue, unless otherwise voided by the Health Officer.
(O) In cases of extreme emergency and when the Board of Health is not open for public business, a water well may be installed without first obtaining a local permit; provided, that the property owner or his or her agent obtains a local well permit within the next working day. The water well must meet all other requirements of this subchapter.
(P) No person shall install a water well in the town without being licensed by the state’s Department of Natural Resources, under authority of I.C. 25-39-3.
(Ord. 98-3-1, passed - -1998)