[Adopted 5-7-1990]
The purpose of this article is to prevent contamination
of groundwater and to protect public health, safety and welfare by
assuring that unused, unsafe or noncomplying wells or wells which
may serve as conduits for contamination or wells which may be illegally
cross-connected to the municipal water system are properly abandoned.
This article applies to all wells located on
premises served by the City of Montello municipal water system.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A system for the provision to the public of piped water for
human consumption when such system has at least 15 service connections
or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents owned or operated
by a city, village, county, town, town sanitary district, utility
district or public institution or a privately owned water utility
serving any of the above.[1]
A well or pump installation which does not comply with the
provisions of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code, in effect at the time the
well was constructed, a contamination source was installed, the pump
was installed or work was done on either the well or pump installation.
The pump and related equipment used for withdrawing water
from a well, including the discharge piping, the underground connections,
pitless adapters, pressure tanks, pits, sampling faucets and well
seals or caps.
A well or pump installation which produces water which is
bacteriologically contaminated or contaminated with substances in
exceedance of the standards of Ch. NR 109 or NR 140, Wis. Adm. Code,
or for which a health advisory has been issued by the Department of
Natural Resources.
A well or pump installation which is not in use or does not
have a functional pumping system.
An excavation or opening into the ground made by digging,
boring, drilling, driving, or other methods for the purpose of obtaining
groundwater for consumption or other use.
The filling and sealing of a well according to the provisions
of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code.
[Amended 7-6-2005]
All wells located on premises served by the
municipal water system shall be abandoned in accordance with the terms
of this article and Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code, no later than one
year from the date of connection to the municipal water system, unless
a well operation permit has been obtained by the well owner from the
Water Utility.
[Amended 7-6-2005; 7-28-2022]
The Water Utility may grant a permit to a private
well owner to operate a well for a period not to exceed 10 years provided
that the conditions of this section are met. An owner may request
renewal of a well operation permit by submitting information verifying
that the conditions of this section are met. The Public Works Committee,
or its agent, may conduct inspections or have water quality tests
conducted at the applicant's expense to obtain or verify information
necessary for consideration of a permit application or renewal. Permit
applications and renewals shall be made on forms provided by the Clerk-Treasurer.
The following conditions must be met for issuance or renewal of a
well permit:
A.
The well and pump installation meet or are upgraded
to meet the requirements of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code.
B.
The well construction and pump installation have a
history of producing bacteriologically safe water as evidenced by
at least two samplings taken a minimum of two weeks apart. No exception
to this condition may be made for unsafe wells, unless the Department
of Natural Resources approves, in writing, the continued use of the
well.
C.
There are no cross-connections between the well and
pump installation and the municipal water system.
D.
The proposed use of the well and pump installation
can be justified as being necessary in addition to water provided
by the municipal water system.
A.
All wells abandoned under the jurisdiction of this
article or rule shall be abandoned according to the procedures and
methods of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code. All debris, pump, piping, unsealed
liners and any other obstruction which may interfere with sealing
operations shall be removed prior to abandonment.
B.
The owner of the well, or the owner's agent, shall
notify the Clerk-Treasurer at least 48 hours prior to commencement
of any well abandonment activities. The abandonment of the well shall
be observed by the Director of Public Works.
C.
An abandonment report form, supplied by the Department
of Natural Resources, shall be submitted by the well owner to the
Clerk-Treasurer and the Department of Natural Resources within 10
days of the completion of the well abandonment.
Any well owner violating any provision of this article shall, upon conviction, be punished as provided in Chapter 1, § 1-4 of this Code. Each day of violation is a separate offense. If any person fails to comply with this article for more than 10 days after receiving written notice of the violation, the municipality may impose a penalty and cause the well abandonment to be performed and the expense to be assessed as a special tax against the property.
