It is the purpose of these regulations to protect
the public health, safety and welfare by ensuring that private wells
drilled in the Town of Williamstown are properly permitted and constructed,
that all water supply wells meet appropriate chemical and bacteriological
standards, and that groundwater resources are protected.
These regulations are enacted by the Town of
Williamstown Board of Health under the authority which includes, but
is not limited, to one or more of the following: MGL, c. 111, §§ 31,
122, 122A, 127, 143, 155, 187, 188, Code of Mass. Regulations 310
CMR 11.02 and MGL c. 40 § 54.
In these regulations the following terms have
the meanings indicated.
ABANDONED WELL
A private well that meets any of the following criteria:
construction was terminated prior to completion of the well, the well
owner declares and notifies the Board that the use of the well has
been permanently discontinued, the well has, after extended use, been
out of service for at least three years, the well is in such a state
of disrepair that its continued use is impractical or represents a
physical threat, or the well has the potential for transmitting contaminants
from the land surface into an aquifer or from one aquifer to another
and the situation cannot be corrected.
APPLICANT
Any person who intends to have a private well constructed.
AQUIFER
A water-bearing geologic formation, group of formations,
or part of a formation that contains adequate saturated permeable
material to yield significant quantities of water for wells and springs.
BOARD
The Williamstown Board of Health or its designated agent.
CERTIFIED LABORATORY
Any laboratory which has been certified by the Department
of Environmental Protection as provided in its most recent edition
of Certification Status of Commercial Environmental Laboratories.
PRIVATE WELL
Any nonpublic well, drilled to locate and/or supply water
for human consumption. Wells drilled for potential public water supplies
will be considered private wells until such time as the application
has been made to the Department of Environmental Protection under
the provisions of 310 CMR 22.00.
[Amended 3-4-2019]
PUMPING TEST
A procedure used to determine the characteristics of a well
and adjacent aquifer by installing and operating a pump.
TITLE 5
The State Environmental Code for On-site Sewage Treatment
and Disposal Systems.
WELL
A bored, drilled, or driven well or a dug hole with a depth
greater than its largest surface diameter, developed to locate and/
or supply water for any purpose other than human consumption and not
subject to regulation by 310 CMR 22.00.
[Amended 3-4-2019]
WELL DRILLER
Any person, association, partnership, company, or corporation
that constructs wells and is registered with the Division of Water
Resources of the Department of Conservation and Recreation in compliance
with the Well Diggers and Drillers Registration, 313 CMR 3.00.
These regulations or any portion of them may
be amended, supplemented, or repealed from time to time by the Board
of Health, with notice as provided by law, on the Board of Health's
own motion or by petition.
If any provision of these regulations is declared
invalid or unenforceable, the other provisions shall not be affected
thereby, but shall continue in full force and effect.
Any part of these regulations subsequently invalidated
by a new state law or regulation, or by the modification of an existing
state law or regulation, shall automatically be brought into conformity
with the new or amended law or regulation and shall be effective immediately,
without recourse to a public hearing and the customary procedures
for amendment or repeal of these regulations.
The effective date of these regulations is December
14, 2004.