Section 810.22. Emergency well operation.

  An emergency well is a well that is not routinely used. The well owner may obtain a written extended well abandonment agreement with the department to allow a normally unused or standby well to remain operational and to delay well abandonment provided that the well owner agrees in writing to the following requirements:

(1)  The well water entering the distribution system may not exceed any bacteriological or nitrate drinking water standards.

(2)  The well water may not contain any volatile organic or synthetic organic contaminant levels exceeding the maximum contaminant level or MCL that could lead to further water quality degradation of the groundwater.

(3)  The well owner agrees to a 5 year cycle of reevaluation. Where the agreement is continued, it shall be renewed in writing every 5 years.

(4)  A 6-year cycle for water quality monitoring is established.

(5)  Bacteriological testing is conducted quarterly from the well.

(6)  Nitrate is monitored annually from the well.

(7)  The well meets current well construction and pump installation standards.

(8)  The water supplier shall notify all customers of the use of the well if the water quality exceeds primary drinking water standards.

(9)  The well owner agrees to televise any well in excess of 70 years old at least once every 15 years.

(10)  The water system will restrict the use of the well if the water quality exceeds the primary drinking water standards to emergency use of no more than 2 days per quarter. The department may authorize an extended period of use for an individual event if contacted by the water supplier.

History: CR 09-073 : cr. Register November 2010 No. 659 , eff. 12-1-10.