[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township
of Potter 7-9-2012 by Ord. No. 2-2012. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to protect the quality of the
groundwater resources. Pennsylvania has no regulations requiring the
proper construction of most wells or boreholes, and their improper
construction can provide short-circuit flow pathways for surface and
subsurface contaminants to impact groundwater quality. This chapter
sets forth standards for the construction of wells and boreholes that
are not otherwise regulated.
The scope of this chapter applies to the construction, modification,
alteration, termination, and abandonment of all wells and boreholes
that penetrate more than 20 feet below grade (hereinafter "wells and/or
boreholes"), including but not limited to domestic water supply wells,
geothermal heat system wells and/or boreholes, geotechnical borings,
test borings, agricultural wells, irrigation wells, commercial wells,
industrial wells, etc. The proper sealing of wells and boreholes using
approved grout is a critical element of this chapter. The following
are exempt from this chapter:
A.
Wells and/or boreholes associated with water supply wells for public
water systems (defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection as consisting of at least 15 service connections or regularly
serve no fewer than 25 individuals daily at least 60 days out of the
year).
B.
Horizontal geothermal heat exchangers constructed in pits, trenches,
ditches, or in horizontal directional borings that remain entirely
less than 20 feet below the surface.
C.
Monitoring wells whose construction and operation is overseen by
the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
D.
Borings/boreholes (such as shot holes, exploratory borings, etc.)
at a mining site associated with mining activities whose construction
and operation are overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection.
E.
Utility trenches.
F.
Foundations, pilings, and other soil and/or bedrock penetrations
which are an integral part of building construction.
G.
Normal routine maintenance and minor repairs to keep a well or borehole
in good working order.
H.
Wells that are completed and fully operational as of the effective
date of this chapter.
The governing body is hereby authorized and empowered to undertake
within Potter Township the regulation of the construction of regulated
wells and/or boreholes.
The governing body is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt
such rules and regulations concerning the construction of wells and/or
boreholes which it may deem necessary from time to time to effect
the purposes herein.
Sections 301(b), 503(10), 503.1, 603(d), 604.1, and 707.4 of
the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act of 1968, P.L. 805,
No. 247,[1] as reenacted and amended) set forth municipal jurisdiction
for water resource management and in conformity with the Potter Township
Code of Ordinances. Likewise, Section 1506 (General Powers) of the
Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code[2] states that the Township Board of Supervisors may make
and adopt any ordinances, bylaws, rules, and regulations, consistent
with the Constitution and laws of the commonwealth, that are necessary
for the maintenance of the health and welfare of the Township's
residents and businesses.
The governing body shall have the right and power to fix, charge,
and collect rates, assessments and other charges in Potter Township
at reasonable and uniform rates as authorized by applicable law.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A water supply well, the regular use of which has been discontinued
for a period of one year or more, or which is in such a state of disrepair
that continued use for the purpose of obtaining groundwater is impracticable,
or which has been replaced by a new well or public water supply. Wells
held in a backup or reserve status shall not be considered abandoned
for the purposes of this chapter if they are well maintained, do not
pose a threat to the environment and there is a reasonable plan in
place to return a well to active service should the primary well fail
to remain viable, or if the facilities serviced by this well may be
returned to service.
Any action which necessitates entering a well with drilling
tools; treating a well to increase yield, altering the physical structure
of depth of the well; blasting; removal or replacement of well casing.
The space between two cylindrical objects, one of which surrounds
the other, such as the space between a drill hole and a casing pipe.
American National Standards Institute.
American Petroleum Institute.
Neat cement, cement plus bentonite, bentonite, bentonite
plus silica sand, or low-permeability sealing material as approved
for use by Potter Township. Approved grout is to be mixed and applied
according to the manufacturer's specifications (e.g., water content
and viscosity) for use in grouting wells and/or geothermal boreholes.
A geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation
that contains sufficient saturated permeable material to yield significant
quantities of water to wells and springs.
American Society for Testing and Materials.
The flowing back of used, contaminated or polluted water
from a plumbing fixture or vessel or other sources into a potable
water supply pipe due to negative pressure in such pipe.
A highly plastic, colloidal clay composed largely of the
mineral montmorillonite.
A penetration of soil and/or rock that is augered, drilled,
cored, bored, washed, driven, dug, jetted, or otherwise constructed
which is generally cylindrical in shape and whose diameter is generally
smaller than its depth of penetration.
Solids added to a drilling fluid to bridge across the pore
throat or fractures of an exposed rock thereby building a filter cake
to prevent loss of whole mud or excessive filtrate.
An impervious durable pipe placed in a well to prevent the
walls from caving and to seal off surface drainage or undesirable
water, gas or other fluids and prevent their entering the well.
Chip bentonite grout is composed of dry three-eighths-inch
or one-half-inch-sized chips of bentonite.
A type of geothermal heating and/or cooling system that utilizes
a pressurized heat exchanger consisting of pipe, a circulating pump,
and a water-source heat pump in which the heat-transfer fluid is not
exposed to the atmosphere. The heat-transfer fluid is potable or beneficial
reuse water and may have approved antifreeze added.
All of the aerobic and facultative anaerobic, gram negative,
non-spore forming, rod-shaped bacteria which are capable of fermenting
lactose with gas formation within 48 hours at 35° C.
A water system which serves at least 15 service connections
used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least twenty-five-year-round
residents.
All acts necessary to obtain groundwater, or artificially
recharge groundwater; provided, however, such term does not include
an excavation made for the purpose of obtaining or prospecting for
oil, natural gas, minerals, or products of mining or quarrying, or
for inserting media to repressure oil or natural gas formations or
for storing petroleum, natural gas, or other products and services.
Construction of wells includes the location and excavation or drilling
of the well, but excludes the installation of pumps and pumping equipment.
Any individual, partnership, company, association, corporation,
group or entity employed, hired, contracted or otherwise engaged by
the owner to perform defined services for compensation.
An arrangement allowing either direct or indirect connection
through which backflow, including back siphonage, can occur between
the drinking water in a public water system and a system containing
a potential source of contamination.
Minimum time required for particular types of cementing or
grouting materials to harden or set up before drilling or other construction
operations can be resumed.
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
A vertical closed loop borehole whose original purpose and
use have been permanently discontinued or which is in such a state
of disrepair that its original purpose cannot be reasonably achieved.
The act of rendering a well or borehole to a condition where
there is no pathway present for surface or subsurface contaminants
to travel down to the water table.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
A type of geothermal heating and/or cooling system where
the heat pump refrigerant is circulated through metal piping installed
in vertical, inclined, or horizontal boreholes. This type of geothermal
system must use a cement-based, special grout in the boreholes and
must have electronic corrosion protection for the metal piping.
A fluid composed of water and bentonite used in the drilling
operation to remove cuttings from the hole, to clean and cool the
bit, to reduce friction between the drill stem and the sides of the
hole, and to plaster the sides of the hole. Such fluids range from
relatively clear water to carefully prepared mixtures of special purpose
compounds.
Flowable fill is a mixture of portland cement (ASTM C150),
potable water, sand, and a fluidizing agent. This mixture is predominately
sand. An example mixture of flowable fill contains approximately 85%
sand, 9% water, 4% portland cement, 2% finely ground slag, and a fluidizing
agent. Flowable fill and other bridging agents do not meet the permeability
requirements to protect groundwater quality and prevent flow between
aquifer zones.
A well that yields water by artesian pressure at the ground
surface.
To make a plastic pipe joint by heat and pressure in accordance
with the pipe manufacturer's specifications.
A system that uses a heat pump to extract heat from the earth
in heating mode and/or reject heat into the earth in cooling mode.
It is also called a geothermal heat pump system, a ground-coupled
heat pump system, an earth-source heat pump system, and a geoexchange
system.
A geothermal heat pump that uses the earth itself as a heat
source and heat sink. It is coupled to the ground by means of a closed-loop
heat exchanger installed horizontally or vertically underground.
Water within the earth below the water table within the zone
of saturation. Groundwater includes both water under water table conditions
and confined within deep aquifers.
A high-solids fluid mixture of cement or bentonite and potable
water of a consistency that can be pumped through a tremie pipe and
placed as required. Various additives, such as sand or bentonite,
may be included in the mixture to meet certain requirements.
A technique of the installation of grouting materials whereby
emplacement is achieved by positive pumping pressure through a tremie
pipe from the bottom of the zone upward.
A mechanical device used for heating and/or cooling which
operates by pumping heat from a cooler to a warmer location.
This term refers to the condition where, in the long term,
the rate of local groundwater pumping from an aquifer does not exceed
the rate of local groundwater recharge to the aquifer.
The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association.
A system including wells, pumps, and piping equipment, which
supplies water to a private home.
The procedure employed in the placement and preparation for
operation of pumps and pumping equipment, including all construction
involved in making entrance to the well and establishing seals but
not including repairs to existing installations.
Any alteration of a regulated well or borehole which can
increase the potential for rapid vertical flow of water into groundwater
or which can otherwise increase the potential to pollute groundwater.
Examples of major alterations include, but are not limited to, deepening
of an existing well, conversion of a well to another use (such as
geothermal heating), etc.
Any alteration that is not otherwise defined as a major alteration.
A fluid mixture of hydraulic cement and water, with or without
admixtures in the following proportions; one bag of cement [94 pounds
(42.6 kg)] to not less than five gallons (18.9 I) nor more than seven
gallons (26.5 I) of water.
A public water system which is not a community water system.
National Sanitation Foundation.
A type of geothermal heating and/or cooling system that utilizes
a water-supply well and a water pump to deliver groundwater to a water-source
heat pump. The discharge water from the water-source heat pump may
be returned to the subsurface through a recharge well or infiltration
bed, or may be discharged into a pond, lake, or stream. A spring may
also be the source of the groundwater supply.
Under some limited circumstances, borehole completion without
grout (below the minimum twenty-foot depth of the approved grout surface
formation seal), may be necessary. Acceptable fill materials are site
specific and may include, but may not be limited to: bentonite chips,
cuttings removed from the borehole; clean sand, gravel, or a mixture
of sand and gravel; and/or cement and water or concrete mixes.
Other methods of grout or fill placement shall be accepted
if such methods allow verification of completion. Such methods must
ensure that the grout or fill placement provides environmental protection
and the intended system performance.
Any person vested with sole or partial, legal or equitable
ownership of the subject property.
A mechanical device that is placed in a borehole to prevent
the vertical movement of water or grout.
A measure of the relative ease with which a porous medium
can transmit a liquid under a potential gradient. It is a property
of the medium alone and is independent of the nature of the liquid
and of the force field causing movement. It is a property of the medium
that is dependent upon the shape and size of the pores.
Shall mean any individual, partnership, company, association,
corporation or other group or legal entity.
A device or assembly of parts which will permit water to
pass through the wall of the well casing or extension thereof, and
which provides access to the well and to the parts of the water system
within the well in a manner to prevent entrance of pollution into
the well and the water produced.
A substance consisting of molecules characterized by the
repetition of one or more types of monomeric units.
A mixture of portland cement (ASTM C150 standard specification
for portland cement) and not more than six gallons (22.7 I) of potable
water per bag [one cubic foot (28.3 I) or 94 pounds (42.6 kg)] of
cement shall be used according to the manufacturer's specifications.
Water suitable for human consumption.
A system which provides water to the public for human consumption
which has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves an average
of at least 25 individuals daily at least 60 days out of the year.
The term is either a community or non-community system and includes
collection, treatment, storage and distribution facilities under the
control of the operator of the system and used in connection with
the system. The term also includes a system which provides water for
bottling or bulk hauling for human consumption.
Pumpable bentonite grout is a high-solids mixture of sodium
bentonite powder or granules and potable water mixed according to
the manufacturer's specifications.
An area on a lot which has been previously tested by the
municipality's SEO and designated as a reserved sewage area on
a plot plan for use as a second sewage disposal system should the
primary disposal area fail.
A well designed and constructed for the return of water to
the ground.
A mixture of portland cement, Type I (ASTM C150), sand and
water in the proportion of not more than two parts by weight of sand
to one part of cement with not more than six gallons (22.7 I) of potable
water per bag of cement [one cubic foot (28.3 1)] or 94 pounds (42.6
kg) shall be used according to the manufacturer's specifications.
A water supply which services one or several facilities such
as industrial or commercial establishments, parks, camps, hotels,
motels, schools, institutions, eating and drinking establishments
or a water supply which services two or more dwelling units and is
not a public water system as defined by the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking
Water Act (35 P.S. § 721.1 et seq.).
A type of open-loop geothermal heating and/or cooling system
that circulates groundwater from a water well through a water-source
heat pump and returns the discharge water from the water-source heat
pump to the same water well it was pumped from. The water withdrawal
and return locations within the water well bore are separated as far
as is possible. Some standing-column geothermal systems discharge
some of the circulating groundwater to enhance their heat transfer.
Thermally enhanced bentonite-based grout is a high-solids
mixture of sodium bentonite, inert additives such as sand or rock
dust that enhance thermal conductivity, and potable water mixed according
to the manufacturer's specifications. The sand must be clean
so as to not introduce contaminants into the grout mixture. The use
of special additives to alter permeability, increase thermal conductivity,
increase fluidity, control grout loss, and/or control time of set,
and the composition of the resultant slurry, must be used in accordance
with the manufacturer's specifications.
A rigid or flexible pipe or a hose that carries the grouting
materials to the bottom of the zone being grouted. The tremie pipe
is withdrawn as the grout material fills the annular space outside
the casing or fills the space between the loop pipes and the borehole
wall. The end of the tremie pipe is kept submerged just below the
surface of the grout material.
The tremie pipe shall be lowered to the bottom of the zone
being filled, and raised slowly as the fill material is introduced.
When using the tremie pipe method to install fills, the bottom of
the tremie should be maintained as close as possible to, but not inside
of, the emplaced fill.
After water or other drilling fluid has been circulated in
the annular space sufficient to clear obstructions, grout shall be
placed by pressure pumping through a tremie pipe. The tremie pipe
shall be lowered to the bottom of the zone being grouted, and raised
slowly as the material is introduced.
A borehole which is constructed to receive heat-exchanger
loop pipes and grout material. Fill material may be used below a minimum
depth of 20 feet below grade as the subsurface conditions warrant.
A heat pump that uses a water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger
to extract heat from the heat source.
Any well that is constructed to remove or return water to
the ground.
That surface in an unconfined groundwater body at which the
pressure is atmospheric. It is defined by the levels at which water
stands in wells that penetrate the water body just far enough to hold
standing water.
Any excavation that is drilled, cored, bored, washed, driven,
dug, jetted, or otherwise constructed when the intended use of such
excavation is for the location, acquisition, monitoring, or artificial
recharge of groundwater. This includes but is not limited to test
wells, test borings, and monitoring wells, in addition to wells to
be utilized as individual or semipublic water supplies.
An individual or company that is permitted or licensed by
the State of Pennsylvania to drill wells in Pennsylvania.
A filtering device that allows groundwater from unconsolidated
and semiconsolidated aquifers to enter the well while at the same
time keeping the majority of sand and gravel out of the well and out
of the pump. A screen also supports the aquifer material and prevents
the borehole from collapsing.
An approved device or method used to protect a well casing
or water system from the entrance of any external pollutant at the
point of entrance into the casing of a pipe, electric conduit or water-level
measuring device.
The zone below the water table in which all interstices are
filled with groundwater.
A.
Permit required. No person, firm, or corporation shall make a penetration
of soil and/or rock that is augered, drilled, cored, bored, washed,
driven, dug, jetted, or otherwise constructed that is regulated by
this code until a drilling permit has been issued by Potter Township
and all other permits have been obtained as may be required, i.e.,
Unified Building Codes, etc.
B.
Permit application. Applications for permits shall be made to Potter
Township Zoning Officer on forms furnished by said office.
D.
Action on application. The Zoning Officer shall examine or cause
to be examined applications for permits and amendments thereto after
filing. If the application or the construction documents do not conform
to the requirements of this chapter, the Zoning Officer shall reject
such application in writing, stating the reasons therefor. If the
Zoning Officer is satisfied that the proposed work conforms to the
requirements of this chapter and laws and ordinances applicable thereto,
the Zoning Officer shall issue a permit therefor as soon as practicable.
The Zoning Officer shall consult with the Sewage Enforcement Officer
(SEO) as necessary when considering proposed well locations. The Zoning
Officer shall grant or deny a permit application, in whole or in part,
within 30 business days of the filing date. Reasons for denial shall
be in writing and given to the applicant. The Zoning Officer and the
permit applicant may agree to extend the deadline by a specific number
of days.
E.
Time limitation of application. An application for a permit for any
proposed work shall be deemed to have been abandoned 180 days after
the date of filing, unless such application has been pursued in good
faith or a permit has been issued; except that the Zoning Officer
is authorized to grant one extension of time for an additional period
not exceeding 90 days. The extension shall be requested in writing
and justifiable cause demonstrated.
F.
Validity of permit. The issuance or granting of a drilling permit
shall not be construed to be a permit for, or an approval of, any
violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or of any other
ordinance of the jurisdiction. Drilling permits presuming to give
authority to violate or cancel the provisions of this chapter or other
ordinances of the jurisdiction shall not be valid. The issuance of
a drilling permit based on construction documents and other data shall
not prevent the Zoning Officer from requiring the correction of errors
in the construction documents and other data. The Zoning Officer is
also authorized to prevent occupancy or use of a structure where in
violation of this chapter or of any other ordinances of this jurisdiction.
G.
Expiration. Every permit issued shall become invalid unless the work
on the site authorized by such permit is commenced within 180 days
after its issuance, or if the work authorized on the site by such
permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days after the
time the work is commenced.
H.
Suspension or revocation. The Zoning Officer is authorized to suspend
or revoke a permit issued under the provisions of this chapter wherever
the permit is issued in error or on the basis of incorrect, inaccurate
or incomplete information, or in violation of any ordinance or regulation
or any of the provisions of this chapter.
I.
Placement of permit. The building permit or copy shall be kept on
the site of the work until the completion of the project.
J.
Stamp. The Zoning Officer shall stamp or place a notation on each
page of the set of reviewed construction documents that the documents
were reviewed and approved for compliance with this chapter before
the permit is issued. The Zoning Officer shall clearly mark any required
non-design changes on the construction documents. The Zoning Officer
shall return a set of the construction documents with this notation
and any required changed to the applicant. The permit holder shall
keep a copy of the construction documents at the work site open to
inspection by the Zoning Officer.
A.
General. Submittal documents consisting of construction documents,
statement of special inspections, and other data shall be submitted
in two or more sets with each drilling permit application. The construction
documents shall be of reasonable quality and provide a complete description
of the well or borehole design and installation. The use of a registered
design professional is encouraged although not normally mandatory.
Where special conditions exist, the Zoning Officer is authorized to
require additional construction documents to be prepared by a registered
design professional.
B.
Construction documents. Construction documents shall be in accordance
with the requirements specified below.
(1)
Information on construction documents. Construction documents shall
be dimensioned and drawn upon suitable material. Electronic media
documents are permitted to be submitted when approved by the Zoning
Officer. Construction documents shall be of sufficient clarity to
indicate the location, nature and extent of the work proposed and
show in detail that it will conform to the provisions of this chapter
and relevant laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, as determined
by the Zoning Officer.
(2)
Site plan. The construction documents submitted with the application
for permit shall be accompanied by a site plan showing to scale the
size and location of new well construction, any existing wells, abandoned
or otherwise, proposed buildings, existing and proposed on-lot sewage
treatment systems, sewage replacement areas, and existing structures
on the site, distances from lot lines, as applicable, flood hazard
areas, floodways, and design flood elevations; and it shall be drawn
in accordance with an accurate boundary line survey. The site plan
must include all items listed in Table 1[1] that are within 100 feet of the proposed well/borehole
location regardless of property boundaries or ownership. In the case
of demolition or abandonment, the site plan shall show construction
to be demolished or abandoned and the location and size of existing
structures and construction that are to remain on the site or plot.
The Zoning Officer, in conjunction with the SEO, is authorized to
waive or modify the requirement for a site plan when the application
for permit is for alteration or repair or when otherwise warranted.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 1 is located immediately following § 217-11A(4).
(3)
Well drilling areas. Where lot conditions permit, a well drilling
area may be designated on the site plan such that all points within
the designated well drilling area meet all of the criteria for well
location. This provision provides for the ability to construct an
alternate well should the first designated site fail to produce a
suitable well. When an alternate well is utilized within the well
drilling area, all previously constructed wells must be abandoned
in accordance with this chapter and the locations of all wells, final
and abandoned, must be reported to Potter Township.
(4)
Well locations. All well locations reported in accordance with this
chapter shall be reported to the nearest 0.025 seconds of latitude
and 0.05 seconds of longitude (approximately three feet).
C.
Examination of documents. The Zoning Officer shall examine, or cause
to be examined, the accompanying submittal documents and shall ascertain
by such examinations whether the construction indicated and described
is in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and other pertinent
laws or ordinances. The Zoning Officer shall consult with the Township
Engineer as necessary when considering proposed well specifications.
D.
Amended construction documents. Work shall be installed in accordance
with the approved construction documents, and any changes made during
construction that are not in compliance with the approved construction
documents shall be resubmitted for approval as an amended set of construction
documents.
A.
Minimum water supply well depth. The source of supply for a water supply well shall be from a water-bearing formation drawn not less than 20 feet from the ground surface. Wells shall be located at a point free from flooding and may not be located within a FEMA FIRM floodplain unless conforming to the requirements below; and shall be at a higher elevation and at the minimum setback distances to existing or potential sources of pollution set forth in § 217-10B.
(1)
Water supply well construction in a floodplain. If a well is proposed
to be located within a floodplain, then the well application must
include a letter from a registered professional engineer in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania documenting why the necessity of placement of the
well within the floodplain, the documented height of the one-hundred-year
flood level, and what mitigation measures, including, but not limited
to, the extension of the casing above the elevation of the one-hundred-year
flood elevation, are to be used to mitigate the contamination hazard.
B.
Minimum setback distance. Wells and boreholes regulated by this chapter
shall be located using the minimum setback distances to existing or
potential sources of pollution listed in Table 1.[1] For closed loop geothermal wells and boreholes which due
to infeasibility cannot conform to the requirements of Table 1, an
appeal to the Zoning Officer can be made detailing the infeasibility,
and the proposed location. Upon review, and any necessary consultation
with the SEO, the Zoning Officer may reduce the required setback distances.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 1 is located immediately following § 217-11A(4).
A.
Casing.
(1)
All wells supplying individual or semipublic potable water supplies
and all wells supplying open-loop geothermal heating and/or cooling
systems and all wells for the return and recharge of geothermal heating
and cooling system discharge water shall be equipped with watertight
and durable casing constructed of listed material and minimum wall
thickness:
(2)
Joining. The sections of casing shall be joined together by threaded
couplings, or full circumferential welding for ferrous materials,
and threaded couplings or solvent welding in accordance with ANSI/NSF
Standard 14 for PVC. Other nonferrous casing joining must meet AWWA
Standard A100.
(3)
Minimum depth. The casing shall be carried to a minimum depth of
20 feet and grouted in place.
(4)
Grouting. Casing and grouting must be compatible.
|
Table 1
Minimum Well and Borehole Setback Distances
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Setback From
|
Potable Water Supply Well
feet (meters)
|
Borehole and Geothermal Supply
and Geothermal Return Well
feet (meters)
| |
|
Lakes, ponds, streams or other surface waters
|
25(7.62)
|
25(7.62)
| |
|
Storm drains, retention basins, stabilization ponds or stormwater
management facilities
|
10(3.05)
|
10(3.05)
| |
|
Preparation area or storage area of hazardous spray materials,
fertilizers of chemicals, salt piles
|
100(30.48)
|
100(30.48)
| |
|
Gravity sewer lines and drains carrying domestic sewage or industrial
waste
|
50(15.24)
|
10(3.05) or according to easement
| |
|
Existing water and forced sewer buried utilities and/or utility
trenches
|
Outside existing easement or, if no easement exists, no less
than 15 feet from the utility or trench center line
| ||
|
Septic tanks, aerobic tanks or holding tanks
|
50(15.24)
|
25(7.62)
| |
|
Primary and replacement subsurface sewage disposal systems,
elevated sand mounds, other sewage disposal fields
|
100(30.48)
|
25(7.62)
| |
|
Sewage seepage pits, cesspools
|
100(30.48)
|
25(7.62)
| |
|
Farm silos, barnyards, privies and fuel tanks
|
100(30.48)
|
25(7.62)
| |
|
Rainwater pits, ditches
|
25(7.62)
|
10(3.05)
| |
|
Spray irrigation sites, sewage sludge and septage disposal sites
|
100(30.48)
|
25(7.62)
| |
|
Dedicated public right-of-way
|
20(6.10)
|
10(3.05)
| |
|
Building foundations (except for buildings enclosing water wells
and/or water well pumps and any other source of pollution as approved)
|
30(9.14)
|
10(3.05)
| |
(5)
Minimum borehole diameter. The borehole should be three inches larger
in diameter than the outside diameter of casing to allow for a minimum
of 1 1/2 inches of annular space for grout placement.
(6)
Minimum extension above grade.
(a)
The casing shall extend at least 12 inches above the ground
surface. The casing may be terminated at grade or just below grade
if the casing is fitted with a waterproof and airtight cap and is
located within a box-type enclosure with an access lid such as a small
meter vault.
(b)
Exception: Airtight and watertight sealed open-loop return wells
can be direct buried. All direct buried return wells must have at
least one foot of ferrous casing or equivalent ferrous material within
12 inches of the surface to facilitate locating them in the future.
(7)
Ferrous casing. Ferrous casing shall be new pipe meeting ASTM or
API specifications for water supply well construction. It shall be
equipped with a drive shoe or other effective casing seal and have
full circumference welds or threaded pipe joints.
(8)
Nonferrous casing. Nonferrous casing shall meet appropriate ANSI,
ASTM or NSF standards for water well casing applications. It shall
not be driven.
B.
Grouting.
(1)
An annular space shall be provided between the well casing and the
earth formation. The annular space shall be completely filled with
approved grout materials in one continuous operation under pressure
from a minimum depth of 20 feet below grade to the natural ground
surface within 24 hours of completion of drilling. No activity in
and around the well shall occur within 24 hours after grouting of
the casing with neat cement or cement with bentonite and using a curing
accelerant, or within 1/2 hour if using bentonite. Positive grout
emplacement utilizing a tremie pipe is recommended for all wells.
Other methods, such as the controlled placement of bentonite chips
may be used if the annular space is free of standing water to a depth
of 20 feet below natural grade. When placing bentonite grout by hand,
extreme care must be taken to avoid bridging of the grout material.
The volume of the annular space must be calculated and the lack of
bridging verified against the volume of bentonite chips placed in
the annular space. Continuous monitoring of the depth of grout in
the annular space should be done to identify, and clear, possible
bridging of grout material as it occurs.
(2)
In the event that grouting is done following completion of all drilling
operations, all obstructions must be completely cleared prior to placement
of grout material.
(a)
Pitless adaptor. During the installation of a pitless adaptor,
grout material may be removed from the exterior of the casing to provide
a watertight seal between the casing and this adaptor. For the installation
of a pitless adaptor, a ditch at least three feet deep is required
along with conduits, stone, dust or sand. A sanitary well cap shall
be incorporated for protection from leakage and identification of
the well respectively.
(b)
Geothermal. Geothermal heating and/or cooling system vertical
heat exchange boreholes containing loop pipes may be filled with approved
grout or bridging or fill materials from their total depth up to a
minimum depth of 20 feet below grade. These vertical heat exchange
boreholes must be filled with only approved grout from a minimum depth
of 20 feet below grade up to the ground surface. If the annular space
around the loop pipes from a minimum depth of 20 feet below grade
up to the ground surface is free from standing water, the approved
grout may be emplaced without pressure pumping through a tremie pipe.
C.
Packer. Packers when used shall be of material that will not impart
adverse taste, odor, toxic substances or bacterial contamination to
the well water.
D.
Pitless installations. Pitless installations are those where the
casing terminates above the ground surface or below grade as specified
above. Where used, they shall be effectively sealed. All buried suction
lines shall be encased. The access casing shall be protected against
corrosion and shall extend at least 12 inches above the natural ground
surface and to a depth of at least 20 feet below the ground surface.
Pitless adaptors may not be installed through a ferrous casing by
cutting the hole with a torch or flame, but must be installed by using
a hole saw or drill to make the hole through the ferrous casing.
E.
Well screens. Well screens shall provide maximum amount of open area
while still maintaining structural strength. They shall have the size
of openings based on a sieve analysis to preclude entry by sand, silt,
and other undesirable elements.
F.
Well cap. All installations shall install a secure, screened, varmint-free
well cap on all wells to prevent any surface pollutants from entering
the well or any vandalism to the well or aquifer. In the event of
a flowing well, the well cap must stop overflow from the well. Casing
terminated at grade, or just below grade, shall have a waterproof
and airtight well cap installed.
G.
Venting. Where venting is required, an overlapping cover or pipe
with an opening facing downward shall be required. In no case shall
openings be less than 12 inches above the ground.
H.
Monitoring wells. Monitoring wells shall be designed and installed
such as to minimize potential contamination of the aquifer and to
maximize the information obtained from each such well.
I.
Heat pumps. Heat pump (geothermal) installations shall be designed and constructed to provide an effective watertight seal with the well casing or water storage reservoir and to prevent contamination from reaching the water chamber or interior pump surfaces. In closed loop systems, boreholes must be installed as described in Subsection B above. Open-loop systems must conform to the same requirements as water wells.
J.
Power pump installations. The pump base installed directly over a
well casing or pipe sleeve shall be designed to provide a watertight
seal. It shall be located in a flood-free area. The pump and related
equipment shall permit convenient access, removal, maintenance and
repair. The suction opening shall be placed at least two feet below
the maximum drawdown of the water in the well. The suction opening
shall also be located at a sufficient distance from the bottom of
the well so as to prevent agitation of accumulated sediment.
K.
Abandoned water supplies. Existing wells that are to be abandoned
shall be mitigated in accordance with the specifications below.
(1)
Drilled wells. Drilled wells shall be filled and sealed by approved grout placed in accordance with Subsection B above.
(2)
Hand-dug wells. Hand-dug wells shall be filled with stone to within
four feet of the top of the well, then filled with compacted earth
to ground level.
(3)
Dry wells. Dry wells being abandoned must be filled with stone and
the top 20 feet filled with approved grout; however, the top two feet
may be covered with soil.
L.
Disinfection.
(1)
Following completion of construction, water supply wells shall be
pumped continuously until the water discharge is clear. It shall be
filled with water containing concentration of not less than 100 parts
per million of free chlorine. A portion of this solution shall be
recirculated directly to the well in order to insure proper agitation.
The water shall not be used for a period of 24 hours. Other combinations
of water and chlorine concentration and time interval may be used
if demonstrated equally effective to the Zoning Officer. Disposal
of the purged water shall be at a point so as to minimize adverse
effects to aquatic life and in no way directed into any sewage disposal
system.
M.
Cross-connections.
(1)
All check valves and backflow protection shall be properly installed.
Backflow protectors must be incorporated into the system and be used
as needed for each outside water hose connectors. At a minimum, two
check valves shall be incorporated into each water system that derives
water from a well.
(2)
Exception. Where not practical, a cross-connection prevention assembly
shall be provided. For semipublic water supplies, the cross-connection
prevention assembly device shall be installed at any fixed potable
water outlet to which a hose may be connected.
N.
Testing of loop systems. The assembled loop system shall be pressure
tested with water at 100 psi for 30 minutes with no observed leaks
before connection (header) trenches are backfilled. Flow rates and
pressure drops shall be compared to calculated values. If actual flow
rate or pressure drop figures differ from calculated values by more
than 10%, the problem shall be identified and corrected.
O.
Completion report. Upon completion of the well or borehole, submit
two copies of DCNR's Water Well Completion Report Form 8700-FM-TG-5001S,
as may be amended, to the Potter Township Secretary or the Zoning
Officer and one copy of this form to the owner. If a geothermal well
is constructed, a report shall be filed with Potter Township by the
driller indicating the well was constructed in accordance with this
chapter.
|
Table 2
Volume of 5% Chlorine Bleach for Shock Chlorination of
Wells and Springs
| |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Water Depth
|
Well Diameter
| ||||||
|
6 inches
(152.4 mm)
|
8 inches
(203.2 mm)
|
10 inches
(254 mm)
|
24 inches
(609.6 mm)
|
32 inches
(812.8 mm)
|
36 inches
(914.4 mm)
| ||
|
10 feet (3.05 m)
|
1 c
(236.6 ml)
|
1 c
(236.6 ml)
|
2 c
(473.2 ml)
|
12 c
(2,839 ml)
|
16 c
(3,785 ml)
|
24 c
(5,678 ml)
| |
|
20 feet (6.10 m)
|
1 c
(236.6 ml)
|
2 c
(473.2 ml)
|
4 c
(946.4 ml)
|
20 c
(4,732 ml)
|
32 c
(7,571 ml)
|
40 c
(9,464 ml)
| |
|
30 feet (9.14 m)
|
2 c
(473.2 ml)
|
4 c
(946.4 ml)
|
6 c
(1,420 ml)
| ||||
|
40 feet (12.19 m)
|
2 c
(473.2 ml)
|
4 c
(946.4 ml)
|
8 c
(1,893 ml)
| ||||
|
60 feet (18.29 m)
|
4 c
(946.4 ml)
|
6 c
(1,420 ml)
|
12 c
(2,839 ml)
| ||||
|
80 feet (24.38 m)
|
4 c
(946.4 ml)
|
8 c
(1,893 ml)
|
14 c
(3,312 ml)
| ||||
|
100 feet (30.48 m)
|
6 c
(1,420 ml)
|
10 c
(2,366 ml)
|
16 c
(3,785 ml)
| ||||
|
150 feet (45.72 m)
|
10 c
(2,366 ml)
|
16 c
(3,785 ml)
| |||||
|
NOTE: Cup(c) is defined as 8 liquid ounces.
|
A.
Cased boreholes. If casing is to be left in place permanently, then the boring shall conform to the requirements for water supply wells stated in § 217-11.
B.
Non-cased boreholes. If no casing is utilized, then the boring shall
be grouted using approved grout for not less than 20 feet below grade.
C.
Temporary casing. If a temporary casing is removed or retracted,
this shall be accomplished immediately after grout has been placed
or else before the grout has hardened or cured.
D.
Construction standard. All materials and construction practices shall
conform to the requirements stated in Closed-Loop/Geothermal Heat
Pump Systems Design and Installation Standards, such as, but not limited
to, standards for pressure testing, heat-transfer fluids, etc., unless
specifically modified by this chapter. All materials and construction
practices shall effectively prevent contamination of groundwater.
E.
The assembled loop system shall be pressure tested with water at
100 psi for 30 minutes with no observed leaks before connection (header)
trenches are backfilled. Flow rates and pressure drops shall be compared
to calculated values. If actual flow rate or pressure drop figures
differ from calculated values by more than 10%, the problem shall
be identified and corrected.
General: When major alterations are made to wells and boreholes regulated by this code, these alterations shall conform to §§ 217-11 and 217-12 with the following modifications.
A.
Existing non-grouted wells and boreholes. If major alterations are made to an existing well or boring which is not grouted with an approved grout, then the following measures may be taken in lieu of the grouting requirements of §§ 217-11 and 217-12.
(1)
Remove soil from the uppermost two feet of the casing to a diameter
of no less than one foot outside the existing casing.
(2)
Fill the exposed annular space with an approved grout to grade.
(3)
Place a compacted earth mound around the well casing. The compacted
earth mound shall be no less than six inches high and shall extend
no less than one foot away from the casing in all directions. The
purpose of the compacted earth mound is to divert surface water away
from the well, so the compacted earth mound shall be non-erodible.
B.
This exception applies only to wells and/or borings that were in
existence prior to the effective date of this chapter.
General: Cross-connections between an individual or semipublic
water supply and a public water system shall be prohibited.
General: No well or borehole regulated by this chapter shall
be used until compliance with this chapter has been obtained. The
fine for violations of this chapter shall be as determined by the
Board of Supervisors of Potter Township.
General: Approval of this application and issuance of a permit
for a well and/or boring on the above-described property does not
constitute any guarantee or warranty by Potter Township regarding
quantity or quality of water that may be obtained as a result of any
well drilled under this permit. The approved permit solely provides
the approval to drill a well and/or boring at the site shown on the
application, and does not provide any other guarantees, approvals,
or warranties.
