An aquifer test shall be required prior to the
approval of a subdivision or land development plan representing more
than three dwelling units, or a nonresidential use or uses which individually
or collectively have an anticipated daily water usage demand of 1,200
gallons per day or more, which proposes to utilize a public water
supply system or individual wells.
No person shall propose the use of a public water supply system or individual wells for a development activity described in § 185-39 without first administering the aquifer test required by this section and meeting the minimum requirements of § 185-41.
A.
Test objective. The objectives of an aquifer test
shall be one or more of the following:
B.
Test standard. The aquifer test shall establish that
the proposed well(s) is (are) capable of supplying potable water at
the minimum rate of 400 gallons per day per dwelling unit or, in the
case of nonresidential use, the anticipated daily water flow, at a
demand rate of not less than eight gallons per minute for one hour,
either with or without the use of a storage system. The test shall
also establish that no significant adverse impact will result to other
existing wells.
C.
Test supervision and evaluation. The aquifer test
shall be conducted under the supervision of a professional consultant
with experience in geology or professional engineer, using testing
procedures hereinafter set forth. The geologist or engineer shall
be responsible for notifying the Township of the test. He or she will
also summarize the test and its significance and make recommendations
as to the suitability of the well or wells for the intended uses.
The final report of the supervising person shall include an opinion
as to whether the proposed use of the well will have an impact upon
other existing wells in the immediate surrounding area. The supervising
person shall provide the Township with a copy of all field notes and
test results.
D.
Test method. The method for conducting the aquifer
test shall be as follows: Aquifer tests shall be conducted for a minimum
of 12 hours at a constant rate of pumping. The pumped well shall be
the one proposed for the specified development activity for which
the test is conducted. Two observation wells which have hydraulic
continuity with the pumped well are required. The preferred method
of analysis of the aquifer test data is the nonequilibrium formula,
although other methods are available and may be used. These include
various methods of analysis of either the drawdown or recovery data.
E.
Collection of data. Data shall be collected in conjunction
with the aquifer test as follows:
(2)
During the test a standard aquifer test field data
sheet will be required for a pumped well and each observation well.
The data sheet shall include columns for listing:
(3)
Following the test, in accordance with recognized
principles of well hydraulics, graphs shall be prepared to show time
drawdown and time recovery for the pumped well and the observation
wells. A distance drawdown graph will be required for anticipated
rates of pumping. Computation of the coefficients of transmissibility
and storage as well as the rate of pumping, time and drawdown are
required as well as other data which may be considered necessary to
satisfy the test objectives.
A water quality test shall be conducted concurrently with any aquifer test required in § 185-39 of this chapter. Such tests shall be conducted by a certified laboratory. The quality of the water tested shall meet the minimum public health drinking water standards as set forth in the National Safe Drinking Water Regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, or be capable of treatment to attain said standard of quality.
