[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township
of West Manheim as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-19-2002 by Ord. No. 3-2002[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Current versions of the well construction application
form, certificate of construction form and release form, which forms
were included at the end of Ord. No. 3-2002, are on file in the Township
offices.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A system for the provision of water for human consumption
if such system has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves
at least 25 individuals, as set forth under the Pennsylvania Safe
Drinking Water Act, 35 P.S. § 721.1 et seq.
A system including wells, pumps, piping, storage and/or treatment
equipment supplying water for human consumption and not regulated
under the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act, 35 P.S. § 721.1
et seq.
Any person licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania performing
or in responsible charge of drilling, altering or repairing a water
well.
[1]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 or artificial recharge
of groundwater. This includes but is not limited to test wells, test
borings, geothermal and monitoring wells, in addition to wells to
be utilized as individual water supplies.
The latest version of the Water Well Completion Report, DCNR
Form 8700-FM-TG-5100S, or its replacement.
[Amended 3-2-2006 by Ord. No. 1-2006]
A.
It shall be unlawful to install or modify an individual water supply
well, a monitoring well, an agricultural well, or a geothermal well
without first obtaining a permit from the Township.
B.
This article shall apply to all wells which have not been completed,
or which are not in operation or in operable condition at the time
of passage of this article.
C.
Monitoring/test, agricultural and geothermal wells shall require
permits. Applicants for monitoring/test wells shall provide security
acceptable to the Township in an amount sufficient to cover proper
abandonment of the wells. The applicant shall provide a probable cost
for abandonment at the time of the well permit application. The Township
will review the estimate and determine the amount of security required
to be posted. The required security shall be furnished to the Township
prior to the issuance of any well permit and shall be in a form acceptable
to the Township.
[Amended 9-4-2008 by Ord. No. 6-2008]
D.
All water
supply wells shall be constructed by a licensed water well driller.
E.
This article shall not apply to the normal maintenance and repairs
required to keep wells in proper working order.
F.
Each building lot must be provided with an individual water supply
system prior to the issuance of a building permit for dwelling units.
A.
Application for a well permit shall be made at the time the applicant
applies for a building permit for any improvements to be erected on
the premises, or, if no other improvements requiring a building permit
are contemplated, prior to any work being started on the proposed
well. The application shall be made upon a form supplied by the Township.
B.
The application shall set forth:
(1)
Name, address and phone number of the owner of the property upon
which the well construction, reconstruction or repair work is to be
done.
(2)
Site address, subdivision name, lot number.
(3)
Name(s) and address(s) of the contractor(s) who shall perform the
work.
(4)
Driller, Pennsylvania license number and telephone number.
(5)
Type of construction, intended use.
(6)
Type of sewage disposal.
(7)
Plot plan showing the address or location of the property; an accurate
scale map of the premises showing the proposed location of the well;
setback lines for wells; the exact location or proposed location of
all buildings; existing wells and on-site sewage disposal systems,
including sewage disposal drain fields and septic tanks; the boundary
lines of the premises upon which the well is proposed to be located;
the boundary lines of all adjacent premises; the location of any wells
and sewage disposal systems, including drain fields, on adjacent properties;
the location of any bodies of water and/or wetlands located on or
abutting the premises; and the location of any underground storage
tanks on the premises or adjoining premises known or readily determinable.
C.
The well driller shall submit to the Township a copy of the water
well completion report within 30 days after any well is completed.
D.
The well driller shall complete a "certificate of well construction"
provided by the Township after any well is completed. Said certificate
shall require that the well driller certify as to the procedures taken
by the well driller to complete the well in accordance with this article.
E.
No well permit shall be issued for an unimproved lot or a lot on
which a new or modified sewage disposal system is to be installed
until a sewage permit has been issued therefor.
A.
Upon receipt of any application for a well permit, the Township shall
within 30 days perform an inspection of the premises on which the
well is to be constructed to determine if the location, which must
be staked by the applicant, conforms to the standards set forth herein.
In situations involving an unimproved lot, said inspection shall be
coordinated with the inspections performed pursuant to a building
permit application and on-lot septic system application, if any.
B.
The inspection shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions
of this article and the provisions of any and all other relevant ordinances
of the Township. Upon completion of the inspection, the Township Officer
shall either:
C.
Upon completion of the well, and notice to the Township of said completion,
provided by the owner or well driller, the Township, through its duly
authorized officer, shall perform a second inspection of the premises
to determine that the well has been constructed in accordance with
the terms hereof.
All permits shall be issued on a form provided by the Township.
A.
A permit may be revoked by the Township at any time for any one or
more of the following reasons, which reasons shall be provided to
the permit holder in writing by the appropriate Township Officer:
(1)
When any change has occurred in the physical condition of any lands
which will materially affect the operation of a permitted well.
(2)
When an applicant has presented false information on his/her permit
application.
(3)
When the permit issued by the Township fails to comply with the provisions
of this article.
(4)
When the applicant has violated the provisions of this article.
B.
Upon receipt of a notice of revocation from the Township Officer,
the applicant shall have the right to appeal said revocation to the
Township Board of Supervisors for a hearing held in accordance with
the provisions of the Local Agency Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 2 Pa.C.S.A. § 551 et seq. and
2 Pa.C.S.A. § 751 et seq.
A.
Minimum isolation distances shall be maintained from the proposed
well as follows:
(1)
Distance from a property line to allow easement or right-of-way access
to the well without encroaching on adjoining properties: 10 feet.
(2)
Distance from dedicated road right-of-way line or any established
future roadway-widening easement, whichever is greater: 15 feet.
(3)
Distance from a building foundation, for the purpose of protecting
the well from a foundation or soil treated to control pests, insects,
or vermin: 30 feet. A distance less than 30 feet may be considered
in the replacement of an existing well which does not meet this thirty-foot
distance requirement.
(4)
Distance from the nearest part of any existing or proposed on-site
sewage absorption system, including the drain field, or 50 feet from
the nearest part of any existing or proposed septic tank, whether
on the land of the applicant or adjoining lands: 100 feet.
(5)
Distance from any gravity sewer line except that said distance may
be reduced to 10 feet when the gravity sewer is constructed of cast-iron
pipe with watertight bell and spigot joints, or flanged joints fitted
with watertight gaskets or mechanical joints, or is constructed of
solvent welded Schedule 40 or SDR equivalent PVC or bell and spigot
SDR PVC pipe: 50 feet.
(6)
Distance from any sewage force main: 50 feet.
(7)
Distance from the nearest part of any existing or proposed stormwater
seepage pit: 100 feet.
(8)
Distance from any driveway: 10 feet.
B.
A well may not be located within or under any building other than
a separate structure constructed specifically for the housing of pumping
equipment.
C.
All suction lines from wells shall be at least 100 feet from all
identifiable sources of contamination.
D.
Any pressure water supply line shall be at least 10 feet removed
from any subsurface disposal area.
E.
All wells shall be located so as to be accessible for cleaning, treatment,
repair, testing, inspection, and such other attention as may be necessary.
F.
All wellheads shall be protected from surface wash or flooding.
[Amended 3-2-2006 by Ord. No. 1-2006]
A.
A well is considered abandoned or permanently discontinued if a pump
was not installed in a new well that was constructed or if an existing
well has not been utilized for a period of one year or more.
B.
If the use of a well is permanently discontinued, the well shall
be filled and sealed in such a way that it will not act as a channel
for the interchange of waters of undesirable quality with those whose
quality is desirable and to prevent the contamination of groundwater.
C.
Only concrete, cement grout or bentonite clay, or a combination of
these materials, may be used to seal a well.
D.
Before the well hole is filled, the casing shall be removed. If the
casing cannot be removed, it shall be perforated to assure that sealing
material fills all annular spaces and voids.
E.
Sealing material shall be placed from the bottom of the well upward
by methods that will avoid dilution and/or separation thereof.
F.
When a well is to be abandoned, the person abandoning it or the owner
of the property (if not the person abandoning the well) shall notify
the Township prior to initiating the procedures set forth above. The
Township shall arrange with the person abandoning the well to be present
to inspect the sealing process. Records of all abandoned wells and
the process undertaken to seal same shall be maintained by the Township.
All applications for a well permit shall be accompanied by a
fee payable to the Township in accordance with a schedule of fees
established from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
A.
The Township shall act upon each such application for permit within
30 days after said application has been filed, and in the event of
failure on the part of the said officer to render and communicate
a decision to the applicant within said time period, the applicant
shall have the right to request a hearing before the Township Board
of Supervisors.
B.
All permits shall be in effect as of the date of issuance, and shall
remain in effect for a period of one year thereafter. In the event
that construction under the permit has not been completed at the expiration
of one year from the date of issuance, the permit shall expire, the
validity of the permit shall cease and terminate, and all fees paid
shall be forfeited.
A.
All wells supplying residential individual water supplies shall be
equipped with watertight steel casing of a minimum thickness of 0.188
inch and weight of 13 pounds per foot. The minimum casing length or
depth shall be 40 feet, with the casing set a minimum of two feet
into hard bedrock or other impervious strata and the casing top terminating
a minimum of 12 inches above finished grade, resulting in a minimum
casing length of 42 feet. A minimum annular clearance of 1.5 inches
must be maintained so that grout may be placed. The criteria established
in AWWA Standard A 100-90, as amended, must be followed.
B.
Steel casings shall be new pipe meeting ASTM or API specifications
for water well construction. If minimum thickness is not considered
sufficient to assure reasonable life expectancy of the well, additional
thickness will be provided. Steel casing will be equipped with a drive
shoe, if needed, and have full circumference welds or threaded pipe
joints.
C.
Casing other than steel requires prior written approval from the
Board of Supervisors. Failure to receive such approval for use of
alternate casing types will result in enforcement action and prohibition
on use of the water supply.
D.
Watertight well casing and grout must be placed at a sufficient depth
to prevent the entrance of pollution from surface runoff and polluted
aquifers. The casing shall be grouted along its entire length with
a Portland cement or bentonite grout.
E.
The casing shall extend above the finished grade a minimum or 12
inches or to such height as is necessary to prevent entrance of surface
water from runoff or flooding at the one-hundred-year flood level.
The casing top shall be fitted with a sealing bug-proof cap.
A.
All grout information (i.e., type of grout and number of bags of
material used for grouting) must be submitted in writing on the form
required by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, by the licensed
water well driller within 30 days of completion of the well drilling
process.[1]
B.
In all well installations 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 from the bottom to the natural land surface within 24 hours
after completion of the drilling. Before placement of grout, the annular
space shall be completely cleared of all obstructions prior to the
placement of the grout material. Exterior grouting methods must be
used.
C.
Grouting shall be accomplished by inserting a minimum one-inch diameter
tremie pipe to the bottom of the casing annulus and pumping grout
through the tremie pipe using a positive displacement pump, until
grout of the same density as what is being pumped returns to the ground
surface. The casing shall be sealed effectively against entrance of
water from water-bearing zones which are subject to pollution. During
the installation of a pitless adapter, grout material may be removed
from the exterior of the casing in order to provide a watertight seal
between the casing and the pitless adapter.
E.
The annular space of all well installations must be filled with one
of the grout materials described below.
F.
Neat cement grout shall consist of a mixture of Portland cement Type
I, II, or III and water in the ratio of 0.67 cubic foot (five gallons)
of water per ninety-four-pound sack weighing approximately 228 pounds
per cubic foot. A maximum of 5% by weight of bentonite, and 2% by
weight of calcium chloride may be added.
G.
Bentonite or sealing clay shall consist of a manufactured clay product
that expands in contact with moisture to form a seal that prevents
the movement of water. Bentonite must be activated with water prior
to resumption of drilling.
H.
In all well installations, if rapid loss of grout material occurs
during placement, clean, coarse fill material (e.g., sand, gravel,
crushed stone, chunk bentonite) may be used in the zone(s) in which
the rapid loss is occurring. The remainder of the annular space shall
be grouted as provided below. In no case shall pouring, dumping, or
shoveling of grout material into the annular space be deemed an approved
method of grout placement.
A.
Grout pipe outside casing.
(1)
The annular space shall be a minimum of 1.5 inches. (The diameter
of the drilled hole shall be greater than or equal to the casing outer
diameter plus three inches.) All grout shall be placed by pumping
through the grout pipe. The entire interval to be grouted shall be
open and without obstructions. Washing or jetting with water is recommended
for cleaning the borehole and may serve to remove obstructions caused
by caving, which otherwise would prevent a proper grout. It is required
that the grout pipe extend from the surface to the bottom of the interval
to be grouted. The grout pipe may remain extended to the bottom of
the interval during and after grouting, or it may be raised slowly
as the grout is placed, provided that the discharge end of the grout
pipe remains submerged in the placed grout at all times until grouting
is completed.
(2)
With grouting depths of 40 feet and less, grout may be placed slowly
from the surface, provided that the entire interval to be grouted
is clearly visible from the surface and is dry. An annular space larger
than the minimum 1.5 inches may be required to assure visibility from
the surface. Any bridging of grout material must be cleared by removing
the casing or rodding prior to placement of grout above the bridged
area.
B.
Unstable formations (i.e., fractured limestone, saturated soils,
etc.)
(1)
When drilling through an unconsolidated formation that caves in,
steel casing and a steel drive shoe shall be required.
(2)
If caving conditions are experienced on wells, the annular space
shall be kept open with an outer casing and shall be grouted from
the bottom of the inner casing, which shall be at least 10 feet below
where caving occurred.
A.
Pitless installations where the casing terminates above the ground
surface and the well pump discharges through a buried adapter fitting
shall be of a design which provides an effective seal against the
entrance of groundwater or surface water into the well. All buried
suction lines shall be effectively encased or otherwise protected
to prevent external damage or contamination.
B.
Pitless installations must be so designed as to be structurally sound
and to provide for ready removal of drop piping without excavation.
The access casing shall be effectively protected against corrosion
and shall extend at least 12 inches above the natural ground surface
and to a point below the frost line. The ground level at this point
shall be elevated above the adjacent ground level and graded to drain
away in all directions. The top of the access shall be effectively
sealed against the entrance of water, insects, and rodents. The pitless
adapter shall not be submerged in water or used in areas used by automobiles
and other vehicles unless adequately protected.
All pump information must be completed on the required form
and submitted within 30 days of installation of the pump.
A.
Following completion of construction of an individual water supply
and installation of the pumping equipment, or alterations, repair
or maintenance work, the well shall be pumped continuously until the
water discharged is clear. The well, pump, piping system, and other
fixtures, shall be filled with water containing a concentration of
not less than 50 parts per million (ppm) of free chlorine. A portion
of the chlorine solution shall be circulated directly to the well
in order to insure proper agitation.
B.
The water shall not be used for a period of 24 hours. Other combinations
of concentration and time intervals, or other disinfectants such as
HTH tablets may be used if demonstrated to be equally effective. One-half
ounce of dry hypochlorite (70% available chlorine) dissolved in 52.5
gallons of water, makes a 50 ppm strength disinfectant solution. Various
proportions can be worked out. The purged water shall not be discharged
into any subsurface sewage disposal system and shall be discharged
at a point so as to minimize adverse effects to aquatic life.
C.
After well disinfection, water samples shall be collected and analyzed
for pH, total solids, iron, nitrate/nitrogen and coliform bacteria.
One copy of the analysis results from a certified laboratory shall
be provided to the owner and the Township.
A.
If pump and piping are not installed by the well driller, the owner
is responsible for proper installation of check valves and backflow
prevention valves.
B.
Backflow prevention valves must be incorporated into the system and
shall be used as needed for each outside water hose connection. At
least two check valves must be incorporated into each water system
that derives water from a well.
C.
Except where not practical, a cross-connections prevention assembly
shall be provided.
If an applicant has shown that any mandatory provisions of this
article are unreasonable or cause undue hardships as they may apply
to the subject property, the Board of Supervisors shall schedule a
public hearing, upon written request of the applicant, and upon payment
of the required fee, and may in its discretion grant a variance or
waiver to such applicant from the mandatory provision of this article
so that substantial justice may be done and the public interest secured.
The granting of any such variance or waiver shall not have the effect
of nullifying the intent and purpose of this article. In granting
variances, waivers, or modifications, the Supervisors may impose such
conditions as will, in their judgment, substantially secure the objectives
of the standards or requirements so modified. Any such hearing shall
be held in accordance with the provisions of the Local Agency Law.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 2 Pa.C.S.A. § 551 et seq. and
2 Pa.C.S.A. § 751 et seq.
A.
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall be subject
to prosecution by the Township for a summary offense under the Pennsylvania
Rules of Criminal Procedure and, upon conviction before a Magisterial
District Judge, shall be subject to pay a fine up to $1,000, and court
costs, and, in default thereof, shall be committed to the county jail
for a period not exceeding 90 days.[1]
B.
For the purpose of this article, each day of a continuing violation
shall be considered a new and separate violation of this article.
C.
The Township may, in addition to any other remedies available to
it, institute an action in equity to enjoin or otherwise restrain
or prevent the violation of the provisions of this article.
Approval of the application and issuance of a permit for a well
does not constitute any guarantee or warranty by the Township regarding
either quality or quantity of water that may be obtained as a result
of any well drilled under the permit. The permit provides the Township's
approval to drill a well at the site shown on the permit and does
not provide any other guarantees, approvals or warranties.
[Adopted 12-16-2008 by Ord. No. 9-2008]
There is hereby established a water district in West Manheim
Township known as the "Area Two Water District" encompassing all the
territory so identified on a plan marked Exhibit A attached hereto
and made a part hereof.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said Exhibit A is on file in the Township offices.
A.
All persons owning any building now erected within the Area Two Water
District, occupied or intended for human habitation and accessible
to the public water system, and all persons hereafter erecting any
new building within said district intended for human habitation and
accessible to the public water system shall, at their own expense,
make connection of such buildings to the public water system. A building
shall be deemed accessible to the public water system when any part
of it shall be located within 150 feet of any public street or easement
in which is laid a public water main and the building lot abuts said
street or easement.
B.
Where a building required to be connected to the public water system pursuant to Subsection A is accessible to an existing water main or at any time hereafter becomes accessible to a newly constructed water main, such connection shall be made within 90 days following receipt of written notice from the Township to make such connection.
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article
shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a Magisterial
District Judge under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure,
be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of
not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment
thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term
not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation
continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate
offense, and each section of this article that is violated shall also
constitute a separate offense.
