[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of
the Town of Coventry as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 9-11-2006 by Ord. No. 05-06-251]
It is the intent and purpose of this article
to provide minimum requirements for the installation and approval
of new domestic or altered wells which produce sufficient supply of
potable water to meet the needs of each household and to create consistent
standards and procedures that ensure that wells are subject to scientific
reliable quantitative tests before a certificate of occupancy is issued
to a dwelling home or residence. This article is dedicated to development
of better well drilling, to safeguarding water resources and to standardizing
drilling and other practices.
This article adopts by reference any and all
regulations promulgated by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management (RIDEM), Division of Groundwater and Freshwater Wetlands
(Water Resources), as to Rules and Regulations Governing the Enforcement
of Chapter 46-13.2 Relating to the Drilling of Drinking Water Wells
and any other federal, state or local law not otherwise inconsistent
herewith.
This article is applicable to all proposed new
or altered domestic wells in the Town of Coventry whether or not existing
prior to July 1, 2006. Only new overburden or bedrock wells to be
used as a domestic well, as defined herein, which meet the standards
of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and this
article shall be permitted.
Except as otherwise hereinafter set forth, this
article incorporates by reference those definitions published in the
Rules and Regulations Governing the Enforcement of Chapter 46-13.2
Relating to the Drilling of Drinking Water Wells. As used in this
article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
The deepening, reaming, casing, recasing, perforation, installation
of linear pipe, packers, seals and other material change in the design
or construction of a well.
Approved by the Building Official of the Town of Coventry.
A well that is free flowing at the ground surface due to
natural pressure of an aquifer, which causes the water level in a
well to be above the ground surface. It means a well in which groundwater
is under sufficient head to rise above the level at which it was first
encountered whether or not the water flows at land surface. If the
water level stands above land surface, the well is a flowing artesian
well.
The solid rock that underlies unconsolidated overburden materials.
A well completed in the rock underlying surficial unconsolidated
material. (Fractured bedrock is considered bedrock.)
The tubing, pipe or conduit, welded or screw coupled, and
installed in the borehole during or after drilling to support the
sides of the well and prevent caving, to shut off water or contaminated
fluids from entering the hole, and to prevent waste of groundwater.
The term “casing” does not include slotted or perforated
pipe, well screens, or liner pipe.
The watertight seal established in the well bore between
the well casing and the drill hole wall to prevent the inflow and
movement of surface water or shallow groundwater in the well annulus,
or to prevent the outflow or movement of water under artesian or hydrostatic
pressures.
A well used to serve one or more residence(s) for the purpose
of supplying water for drinking, culinary, sanitary, or other household
uses and which is not a public water supply as defined by the Rhode
Island Department of Health. A domestic well may be an artesian well,
overburden well, or bedrock well or any combination thereof.
The volume of standing water in a well that is available
for removal and use, and is capable of being pumped from the well.
The height of the water column in a well that is available
for removal and use (i.e., the distance between the static water level
and the pump level).
A well which is screened in the unconsolidated soil materials
(i.e., fill, sand, gravel, silt, clays) that lie on top of the bedrock.
Water which meets consumption standards of the Rhode Island
Department of Health or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
whichever is more restrictive.
The rise in static water level in a well that occurs when
discharge from that well or a nearby well is stopped.
The Town-required pumping rate to be maintained throughout
the duration of the yield test.
The minimum yield of a domestic well required by RIDEM and
as hereinafter set forth, whichever standard is more stringent.
Any artificial opening or artificially altered natural opening,
however made, by which groundwater is sought, or through which groundwater
flows under natural pressure, or is artificially withdrawn or injected.
The quantity of water per unit of time which may flow or
be pumped continuously from a well.
A.
A well permit is required from the Building Official for all newly installed or altered domestic wells servicing both existing and new residences. Alterations of existing wells that involve pump or electrical repairs or replacement only shall not require a well permit. A well permit shall be applied for in writing on a form provided by the Building Official of the Town of Coventry, and the fee for such permit shall be as set forth in Chapter 122, Fees. The receipt of said permit shall be conditioned upon the following:
[Amended 3-23-2009 by Ord. No. 03-09-273]
B.
Notice of intent to construct a well. Prior to the
commencement of drilling activities at the site of a proposed domestic
well, the well owner or the owner's designee shall provide notice
to the Town Building Official of the owner's intent to install a well.
Written notice will be furnished to the Town's Building Official at
least 48 hours prior to the commencement of drilling. If, for any
reason, the scheduled date(s) of drilling changes, the Town will be
notified of the new date of drilling at least 48 hours in advance
of such date. All times specified in this section shall not include
weekends and state or federal holidays.
C.
Notice of yield test. Prior to the commencement of
yield testing activities at a newly installed domestic well, the well
owner, or the owner's designee, will provide notice to the Town Building
Official of the date and exact time of test commencement. Written
notice shall be furnished to the Town at least 48 hours prior to the
scheduled date of the yield test, and at least two hours' notice will
be given of the exact start time of the test. If, for any reason,
the scheduled time or date of the start of the yield test changes,
the Town will be notified immediately. The well owner will provide
notification of the new time and date in accordance with the notification
requirements detailed above. All times specified in this section shall
not include weekends and state or federal holidays.
A.
General.
(1)
The Town of Coventry hereby incorporates by reference
those minimum test yield requirements for individual residential household
use established by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
for bedrock wells for all newly installed or altered wells, to wit:
|
Minimum Test Yield
(gallons per minute)
|
Minimum Well Depth
(feet)
| |
|---|---|---|
|
5
|
100
| |
|
3.5
|
150
| |
|
2
|
200
| |
|
1
|
300
| |
|
0.5
|
450
|
(2)
The foregoing assumes that the static level is between
25 feet and 35 feet below the ground level with a six-inch diameter
well.
B.
Protocol.
(1)
A yield test will be performed on all newly installed
or altered domestic wells. The yield test will be conducted in accordance
with all current state requirements and industry standards, as well
as the additional requirements stipulated herein. The duration of
the yield test will be a minimum of five hours, and will demonstrate
the well is capable of providing a sufficient supply of water for
the proposed use. The yield test will be conducted at a constant flow
rate for the duration of the test.
(2)
Accounting for the effective storage capacity of the
well.
(a)
To ensure a domestic well is capable of producing the minimum required well yield, the removal of the effective storage capacity of the well shall be incorporated into the yield test. To incorporate the effective storage capacity of a six-inch diameter well into the yield test, the formulas detailed below shall be utilized. If a well owner or installer proposes to construct a domestic well other than six inches in diameter, the foregoing formulas in Subsection A above shall be revised by the Town Engineer or consultant on a case-by-case basis.
(b)
A well owner or installer proposing to install
a well with a diameter other than six inches shall submit a written
request to the Town identifying the specific proposed well construction
details. The Town's consultant shall then provide revised formulas
to determine the well installation and testing requirements.
(c)
Formulas.
[1]
Determine the required RIDEM and/or Town of
Coventry yield.
[2]
Determine the effective storage capacity:
|
Depth to top of pump (feet) – Measured
depth to water (feet)
|
=
|
Effective Well Depth (feet)
| |
|
Effective Well Depth (feet) x 1.5 (gallons/feet)
|
=
|
Effective Storage Capacity (gallons)
|
[3]
Determine the required constant pump rate to
be pumped from the well during the yield test.
 |
|
*
|
Five-hour minimum
| |
|
The required constant pump rate shall be pumped
from the well for the duration of the yield test.
| ||
[4]
Location of the discharge line. The pump discharge
line shall be located so as to eliminate recirculation of pumped water
during the yield test. The discharge point for water pumped during
yield tests shall be located at least 50 feet away and topographically
lower than the production well.
[5]
Collection of depth-to-water measurements.
[a]
Depth-to-water measurements, accurate to within
1/10 of one foot, shall be collected at key points during the yield
test. Key points include immediately prior and subsequent to the start
of the yield test, immediately prior and subsequent to the finish
of the yield test, and at a minimum every 1/2 hour during the yield
test.
[b]
Sufficient depth-to-water measurements shall
also be collected to demonstrate compliance with the recovery requirement
discussed below.
[6]
Recovery requirement.
[a]
For wells with an effective well depth of 450
feet or less, the well owner shall demonstrate that the water level
in the well has recovered to at least 85% of the static water level
(water level measured prior to commencement of the yield test) within
18 hours of the end of the yield test. To demonstrate compliance with
the recovery requirement, one water level measurement documenting
a minimum of 85% recovery shall be collected no more than 18 hours
after the end of the yield test. The following formula shall be used
to demonstrate compliance with this requirement:
 |
[b]
For wells with an effective well depth greater
than 450 feet, the well owner shall demonstrate that the well recovers
to 85% of the static water level, as detailed above, or that the well
recovers at a rate of 20 feet per hour for a period of 18 hours. To
demonstrate compliance with the recovery requirement, one water level
measurement collected immediately after the end of the yield test
shall be compared to a water level measurement collected no less than
12 hours and no more than 18 hours after the end of the yield test.
The following formula shall be used to demonstrate compliance with
this requirement:
 |
|
NOTE: # Hour = The number of hours
between the end of yield test and the final water level measurement
(must be between 12 and 18 to ensure that the average recovery rate
of the well is not skewed by rapid recovery immediately following
the completion of the yield test)
|
The Town's Engineer or designee may perform
unannounced spot inspections during the yield test. During inspections,
the Town's Engineer/designee may observe the yield testing procedures,
discharge location, well location, well depth, and pumping rate, or
any other aspect of the well construction or testing procedure deemed
relevant by the consultant to verify compliance with RIDEM and Town
regulations. The latitude and longitude of the well may also be recorded
through the use of a handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit,
or other acceptable means.
The RIDEM well completion report shall be completed
and furnished to RIDEM and the Town Building Official within 15 business
days of completion of the yield test. The well completion report shall
be reviewed by the Town's Engineer within 15 business days to assess
the accuracy, completeness, and acceptability of the well construction
and yield test, and the ability of the well to provide a sufficient
water supply to meet the intended use of the property. Issuance of
a building permit from the Town Building Official shall be dependent
upon submission and approval of the well completion report by the
Town and the Town's Engineer.
In addition to the RIDEM well completion report,
the well owner shall complete the Town of Coventry well completion
form. The Town well completion form shall be completed and delivered
to the Town Building Official within 15 business days of completion
of the yield test. The Town well completion form shall be reviewed
by the Town's Engineer to assess the accuracy, completeness, and acceptability
of the well construction and yield test. Issuance of a building permit
from the Town Building Official shall be dependent upon submission
and approval of the Town well completion form by the Town and the
Town's Engineer.
A.
A well certificate is required from the Building Official,
prior to the issuance of a building permit and/or certificate of occupancy
for a newly constructed dwelling, for all newly installed or altered
domestic wells, unless waived in accordance with the above. Alterations
of existing wells that involve pump or electrical repairs or replacement
only shall not require a well certificate.
B.
Prior to the issuance of a well certificate, well
completion reports as provided by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management and the Town of Coventry shall be submitted to the Building
Official. Reports shall not be accepted by the Building Official unless
and until all information on the report is complete and verified by
the Town's consultant as accurate and as consistent with state law
and this article. In addition, the Building Official may require additional
information from the well driller and additional certification by
the Town's consultant.
C.
Well certification shall be applied for in writing on a form provided by the Building Official of the Town of Coventry, and the initial fee for such certification shall be as set forth in Chapter 122, Fees, to cover expenses incurred by the Town for consultant review and inspection. The certification fee shall be in an amount sufficient to cover the actual expenses associated with the analysis, review, and inspection of the well in accordance with this article. The certification fee is to be deposited into an account as established by the Town Treasurer and shall be replenished and administered in accordance with § 242-11.
[Amended 3-23-2009 by Ord. No. 03-09-273]
D.
The Building Official shall maintain copies of all
well information and certifications and make such information publicly
available upon request.
A.
The well certification fee is to be deposited into
an account as established by the Town Treasurer. Outside consultants
retained by the Town to assist in the review and inspection of an
application shall be paid from this account.
B.
When the balance in an applicant's account falls below
25% of the required deposit, the Building Official may require that
the account be replenished as necessary to cover any further expenses.
C.
An accounting of an applicant's funds held in the
account may be requested by the applicant at any time, provided the
request is made in writing to the Building Official. The Building
Official shall respond to the request in a timely fashion. This accounting
may include the latest statement from the Town Treasurer's records,
a report of all checks authorized for issuance since the last statement,
and/or an estimate of bills pending for work complete or work in progress.
D.
Excess fees in the account shall be returned to the
applicant or the applicant's successor in interest, at the conclusion
of the review process.
The Town reserves the right to require additional
testing and/or monitoring of any well(s) to ensure adequate quantities
and quality of well water for the immediate users and abutting homeowners.
Such measures may include use of data loggers, pump tests, stream
gauges, drawdown tests, and monitoring wells respecting bedrock and
overburden wells. Incomplete or otherwise deficient well completion
reports or questionable yield results or construction details may
warrant a request for additional testing or assessments.
Nothing in this article shall preclude the emergency drilling of a drinking water well for a homeowner or tenant on an interim basis in the event a residence loses its water supply. If a well is drilled and installed under this provision, then the homeowner or tenant shall notify the Town Building Official no later than the next business day and will comply with all other provisions of § 242-5 of this article as soon as possible.
[Adopted 7-22-2013 by Ord. No. 07-13-291]
A.
In connection with the remediation of the former Town Landfill located
on the southern side of Arnold Road, the use for potable purposes
of groundwater under certain real property (in whole or in part) located
to the north and south of Arnold Road is hereby prohibited. For the
purposes of this article, "potable purposes" is defined to mean use
for drinking water or involving direct human contact (such as use
in swimming pools) but does not include use for irrigation or other
purposes.
B.
The real property in whole or in part subject to this article is
set forth on the list attached hereto as Exhibit A[1] and incorporated herein. A map showing the real property
in whole or in part that is subject to this article is attached hereto
as Exhibit B[2] and incorporated herein, and a copy of the map shall be
maintained in the Office of the Town Building Official. Only that
portion of a parcel of real property within the wellhead protection
buffer boundary as shown on Exhibit B is subject to this article.
C.
The placement and use of irrigation wells on the real property subject
to this article shall be subject to the prior approval of the Town
and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to ensure
that any such well is not located within the known contaminant plume.
D.
Such prohibition shall remain in effect until the Rhode Island Department
of Environmental Management or its successor department or agency
shall determine that groundwater under such real property is suitable
for use for potable purposes as defined herein. The Town Building
Official shall give immediate written notice to the Director of the
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management upon repeal or
modification of this article or any judicial decision that repeals
or modifies this article.
The Town Building Official is authorized to enforce the provisions of this article and to institute such proceedings, including proceedings to enjoin the use of groundwater prohibited by § 242-14, necessary to effectuate the requirements of this article. The Town Building Official shall also provide to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management an annual report by September 1 of the number and nature of any violations of this article in the prior fiscal year ending June 30.
This article shall not apply to the use of groundwater from
any investigative monitoring well installed in connection with the
investigation or remediation of the former Town Landfill or by any
federal, state or local governmental authority.
