Nockamixon Township
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIVC
Water Well Construction Requirements
§ 234-119 Construction and abandonment standards.
A.
The following well construction standards are required:
(1)
All wells shall be of the drilled type, cased and grout sealed into the bedrock.
(2)
Well depth. All wells shall be drilled to a minimum depth of 100 feet or to a greater depth to meet the requirements of the pump testing required by this article. In addition, all wells must be drilled to a depth such that the minimum flow rate is three gallons/minute. The Board, after review and recommendation from the Township Engineer and the Zoning Officer, may allow a lower minimum flow rate of no less than one gallon/minute if an applicant meets the following criteria:
(a)
The applicant is proposing a Class 1 well for a new single-family detached dwelling on a lot that was created prior to the enactment of this article.
(b)
The lot has never been developed or otherwise built on and is vacant.
(c)
The applicant is not proposing to subdivide the lot.
(d)
The three gallon/minute required minimum flow rate would prevent the applicant from constructing a single-family detached dwelling on the lot.
(e)
The applicant has passed the pump test required under this article.
(f)
The applicant can and will provide adequate storage to accommodate daily demand.
(g)
The applicant can demonstrate that a lower flow rate will not adversely impact the long-term availability of water for its use and surrounding property owners.
(h)
The applicant provides notice that it intends to seek a lower flow rate to property owners within the neighbor notification distance.
(3)
Location.
(a)
Every well shall be located in keeping with the following principles; except that replacement wells which will serve existing uses may be located where most appropriate based on topography and property size:
[1]
At the highest point in the premises consistent with general layout and surroundings, but in any case, protected against surface wash.
[2]
As far removed from any known or probable source of contamination as the general layout of the premises and the surroundings permit.
[3]
At a distance of at least 100 feet from the septic system and located on the opposite side of the dwelling from the septic system and upgradient.
[4]
Not located along a fracture or set of fractures intersecting the septic system or any other potential sources of pollutants.
[5]
Within the minimum building setbacks as provided in the Township's Zoning Ordinance.
[6]
Not located within any floodplain identified by FEMA mapping and/or site-specific calculations.
[7]
Not located within any riparian corridor, being measured 75 feet from top of watercourse bank.
[8]
Prohibition on placement of Class 3 and 4 wells. Class 3 wells are prohibited within 500 feet of an existing, active well. Class 4 wells are prohibited within 1,000 feet of an existing, active well, unless the well/property is in common ownership.
[9]
When identifying proposed test well locations, the applicant shall consider the layout of its proposed development such that, when possible, test wells can be converted to production wells. Any test wells not converted to production wells must be properly abandoned in accordance with the standards in Subarticle XIVC, unless the Township requires any unconverted well to be retained as a permanent monitoring well, in which case the well must be properly secured with a locking cap.
(b)
Minimum distances between wells and sources of contamination shall be in accordance with requirements of Nockamixon Township and the distance standards set forth in the BCHD's water well regulations and PaDEP regulations (e.g., re: distances from on-lot sewage disposal systems).
(c)
With respect to buildings, the location of a well shall be made as follows:
[1]
When a well is located adjacent to a building, it shall be located so that the center line of the well extended vertically will clear any projection from the building by not less than two feet.
[2]
Every well shall be located so that it will be reasonably accessible with proper equipment for cleaning, treatment, repair, test, inspection and such other attention as may be necessary.
[3]
No well shall be located so that the top thereof will be within the basement of any building nor under a building having no basement.
(4)
Well casings. All wells shall be cased for a minimum of 10 feet into bedrock or a minimum of 50 feet from land surface, whichever is deeper. All casings shall be provided with a pitless adapter or a sanitary seal. All casings shall be in accordance with PaDEP, BCHD, and all other applicable rules and regulations, and current technology. Casing materials selected shall form a seal between the casing and the bedrock. All casings shall be raised at least 18 inches above final grade. Where a pump section or discharge pipes enter or leave a well through the side of the casing, the circle of contact shall be watertight. The annular space between the earth and outside of the casing shall be filled with cement grout or Bentonite to a distance of at least six feet below the ground surface.
(5)
Well casing pipe. The minimum standard of quality for well casing pipe shall be new steel with a weight of 19 pounds per linear foot, sized six-inch in diameter or greater.
(6)
Connections and joints. All connections to a well casing shall be correctly mated threaded pipefittings, welded connections, sanitary well seals or other approved connections. All joints between sections of casing shall be made by continuous welding.
(7)
Driving or installation of pipe. Well casing pipe shall be driven and installed so that no injury affecting the safety of the water supply occurs.
(8)
Watertight caps or plugs. Upon completion of drilling, the well will be equipped with a suitable watertight cap or plug to protect the well from tampering or the entrance of foreign matter.
(9)
Preparation for deepening. In the preparation for deepening, any sediment or debris in the bottom of the well shall be removed. The bottom shall be disinfected by distributing a chlorine solution over the bottom or adding such solution to water in the well. A concentration of 2,300 parts per million of chlorine should be attained for disinfection.
(10)
Alignment. The center line of a drilled or bored well shall not be out of plumb more than 12 inches per 100 feet of depth.
(11)
Caving protection. When caving or sloughing formations that would interfere with the proper functioning of a well or the pumping equipment are encountered, the entrance of foreign material shall be prevented by means of liner pipe, cementing or other approved methods.
(12)
Sealing. Upon completing construction or reconstruction operations, the constructor of the well shall seal the well watertight after testing and sampling procedures are completed.
(13)
Blasting. No person shall engage in the use of explosives for increasing or recovering the yield of any well without first giving notice of such use to the Township, and without first having obtained a license therefor from the applicable state agency and a zoning permit from the Township.
(14)
Increasing well yields. No person shall engage in the use of technology such as hydraulic fracturing (aka "hydrofracking," "hydrofracting") or similar means to increase the yield of any well without first giving notice of such to the Township, and without first having presented to the Township all relevant state and/or federal permits for the use of hydraulic fracturing or other means being used to increase the well's yield. The person must also comply with the standards in this article regarding pump test requirements when the use of hydraulic fracturing or similar means are used.
B.
Standards for abandonment or decommissioning of wells.
(1)
All existing wells on a lot on which a new well has been approved shall be abandoned or decommissioned if the existing wells are not being used or proposed to be used.
(2)
Wells to be abandoned or decommissioned, including existing wells, observation wells, or test wells not being converted to production wells and not being used as permanent monitoring wells, must be abandoned or decommissioned by a certified and licensed well driller in accordance with current BCHD, PaDEP, and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PADCNR) standards.
(3)
Upon abandonment, the well owner and/or contractor performing abandonment/decommissioning shall present proof to the Township of well abandonment/decommissioning in conformance with the aforementioned standards.