The purpose and intent of this article is to
ensure that:
A. Residential developments of two or more new lots or
dwelling units and all applications for nonresidential uses that will
result in total groundwater withdrawals greater than 800 gallons per
day and all nonexempt agricultural uses shall demonstrate that adequate
water supply is available for the existing and proposed use(s) on
site without adverse impacts on neighboring wells and other resources,
including but not limited to wetlands and streams.
B. Groundwater quality is acceptable for drinking water
purposes (or other intended use in the case of a nonresidential or
agricultural application).
C. The impacts of the proposed withdrawal of the groundwater
resource will not interfere with use of the resource by existing proximate
users.
In addition to the definitions of terms set forth in Article
I, §
159-4, the following additional definitions shall apply to the enforcement and implementation of this article and shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED WELL
Any well which is not in use, has been illegally installed
or improperly constructed, has been improperly maintained or is damaged,
has not been maintained in a condition that ensures that the subsurface
or percolation waters of the state are protected from contamination,
has been replaced by another well or connection to a public supply,
is contaminated, is nonproductive, or no longer serves its intended
use pursuant to the state Act.
ACT, STATE
Refers to the Private Well Testing Act, P.L. 2001, c. 40;
N.J.S.A. 58:12A-26 et seq., which applies to buyers, sellers and lessors
of certain real property as follows:
A.
All contracts of sale for any real property
in which the potable water supply is a private well located on the
property, or for any other real property in which the potable water
supply is a well that has less than 15 service connections or that
does not regularly serve an average of at least 25 individuals daily
at least 60 days out of the year, shall include a provision requiring
the testing of that water supply for certain parameters as set forth
in the Act.
B.
The lessor of any real property in which the
potable water supply is a private well for which testing of the water
is not required pursuant to any other state law shall test that water
supply for certain parameters as set forth in the Act. Testing of
the water is required at least once every five years. In addition,
within 30 days after receipt of the test results, a written copy of
the results must be provided to each rental unit and each new lessee.
ACUTE PARAMETER
A parameter in drinking water that has significant potential
to have serious and adverse effects on human health as a result of
short-term or limited exposure.
ALTER
To enlarge, deepen, replace or in any other way change any
portion of an existing water supply system. The terms alteration and
altered shall be construed accordingly.
APPLICANT
A developer or property owner submitting an application for
development or permit to locate, construct or alter a water supply.
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
The application form and all accompanying documents required
by the Andover Township Land Use Ordinance for approval of a subdivision, site plan, planned development,
conditional use, zoning variance, or direction of the issuance of
a permit pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-34 or N.J.S.A. 40:55D-36.
APPLICATION FOR WELL PERMIT
The application form and all accompanying documentation required
by the NJDEP for approval to locate, construct or alter a water supply.
AQUIFER
A formation, group of formations, or part of a formation
that contains sufficient saturated permeable material to yield economic
quantities of water to wells and springs.
AQUIFER, CONFINED
An aquifer that is overlain by a confining bed (aquitard).
The confining bed has a significantly lower hydraulic conductivity
than the aquifer. Artesian aquifer is a synonym.
AQUIFER, SEMICONFINED
An aquifer overlain by a low-permeability layer that permits
water to slowly migrate through to the aquifer. Also termed leaky
artesian or leaky confined aquifer.
AQUIFER TEST
A three-part test conducted to obtain background, pumping,
and recovery data/information from a pumping well and observation
wells in order to determine aquifer hydraulic characteristics and
assess potential water-level drawdown (well interference) to nearby
wells.
AQUIFER TEST LOCATION
A location(s) most representative of site geologic conditions
where the aquifer test shall be conducted to evaluate potential impacts
to proximate users of the groundwater resource.
AQUIFER, UNCONFINED
An aquifer in which there are no confining beds between the
zone of saturation and the ground surface. Water-table aquifer is
a synonym.
AQUITARD
A low-permeability unit that can store groundwater and also
transmit water slowly from one aquifer to another (also see aquifer,
confined).
BOARD
The Andover Township Land Use Board or Board of Adjustment,
whichever land use body has jurisdiction to hear the application for
development.
CERTIFIED LABORATORY
Any laboratory, facility, consulting firm, government or
private agency, business entity or other person that the NJDEP has
authorized pursuant to the Regulations Governing the Certification
of Laboratories and Environmental Measurements, N.J.A.C. 7:18, to
perform analysis in accordance with the procedures of a given analytical
method using a particular technique as set forth in a certain methods
reference document, and to report the results from the analysis of
environmental samples in compliance with a NJDEP regulatory program.
CONE OF DEPRESSION
The area around a pumping well in which the head (water level)
in the aquifer has been lowered by pumping action.
CONFINING BED
A body of low hydraulic conductivity material that is stratigraphically
adjacent to one or more aquifers.
CONTAMINANT
Any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance
or matter that has an adverse effect on air, water or soil quality.
DEPARTMENT
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
DEVELOPER
The legal or beneficial owner or owners of a lot or of any
land which is the subject of an application for a permit to locate,
construct or alter a water supply or the subject of a development
application regulated by this article, and shall include the holder
of an option or contract to purchase, or other person having an enforceable
proprietary interest in such land.
DRAWDOWN
The lowering of the water table of an unconfined aquifer
or the potentiometric surface of a semiconfined or confined aquifer
caused by pumping of groundwater from a well or wells. Drawdown is
determined by subtracting the depth to water during pumping from the
static water level determined prior to the start of pumping.
DRINKING WATER QUALITY STANDARD
A standard that applies to a constituent or contaminant that
is required to be tested pursuant to the New Jersey Safe Drinking
Water Act, N.J.S.A. 58:12A-1 et seq., including a maximum contaminant
level, recommended limits, or, in the case of lead, an action level.
EXCEEDANCE
The concentration of a constituent or contaminant that is
greater than a maximum contaminant level (MCL), action level, standard
or recommended upper limit for that given constituent or contaminant.
FRACTURE TRACE
The surface representation of a fracture zone as determined
from an analysis of aerial photographs in stereo pair.
GROUNDWATER
Water in the ground that is in the zone of saturation from
which wells, springs and stream baseflow (dry weather streamflow)
are supplied.
HEAD, STATIC
Static head is the height above a standard datum of the surface
of a column of water that can be supported by the static pressure
at a given point. In a groundwater system, it is composed of elevation
head and pressure head.
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
The capacity of a geologic formation to transmit water. It
is expressed as the volume of water at the prevailing density and
viscosity that will move in unit time under a unit hydraulic gradient
through a unit area measured at right angle to the direction of flow.
HYDRAULIC GRADIENT
The change in static head per unit of distance measured in
a given direction.
HYDROGEOLOGY
The study of groundwater with particular emphasis given to
its chemistry, mode of migration, and relation to the geologic environment.
INFILTRATION
The flow of water downward from the land surface into and
through the upper soil layers.
IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Equipment, including but not limited to pumps, piping, and
sprinkler heads used to distribute water to grasses, landscape materials,
crops, and other vegetation.
LOT or LOT IN QUESTION
Any designated parcel, tract or area of land, whether established
by plat or otherwise permitted by law, to be used, developed or built
upon as a unit, regardless of the nature of the use contemplated,
which is the subject of an application for a permit to locate, construct
or alter a water supply or the subject of an application for development
that is regulated by this article.
MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL (MCL)
The maximum permissible concentration of a constituent or
contaminant in drinking water. Maximum contaminant levels shall apply
to public and nonpublic water systems, in accordance with the New
Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act, N.J.S.A. 58:12A-1 et seq., and implementing
rules at N.J.A.C. 7:10.
NJDEP
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
OBSERVATION WELL (MONITORING WELL)
A nonpumping well used to observe the elevation of the water
table or the potentiometric surface. An observation well is generally
constructed similar to a pumping well. Observation wells are also
referred to as monitoring wells. Observation wells are required to
measure water-level drawdown during the aquifer pumping test and also
for the calculation of aquifer hydraulic characteristics. The specific
requirements for observation wells are provided in Appendix II, Observation
Well Requirements — Well Testing, of this chapter.
PARAMETER
A general standard or scope that includes other terms such
as contaminant, constituent, substance, metal, organic/inorganic chemical,
and characteristics that are used to designate an analyte, group of
analytes, attribute, or physical property.
POINT-OF-ENTRY TREATMENT (POET) DEVICE
A water treatment device applied to the drinking water entering
a house or building for the purpose of reducing contaminants in the
drinking water distributed to the entire house or building. Examples
of POET include devices such as calcite filters and ion exchange (water
softeners).
POROSITY
The voids or openings in rock and soil. Porosity may be expressed
quantitatively as the ratio of the volume of openings in a rock or
soil to the total volume of the rock or soil.
POROSITY, PRIMARY
The porosity that represents the original pore openings when
a rock or sediment was formed.
POROSITY, SECONDARY
The porosity that has been caused by fractures or weathering
in a rock or sediment after it has been formed.
POTABLE WATER
Any water used, or intended to be used, for drinking and/or
culinary purposes which is free from impurities in amounts sufficient
to cause disease or harmful physiological effects, and complies with
the bacteriological and chemical quality standards of the New Jersey
Safe Drinking Water Act rules at N.J.A.C. 7:10.
PRIVATE WELL
A potable water well that serves or will serve a dwelling
unit or nonresidential or agricultural use and is located on the same
real property as the dwelling unit or nonresidential or agricultural
use.
PROPERTY OWNER NOTIFICATION
Nearby wells and springs, Appendix III of this chapter, outlines the notification requirements
and procedures for owners of existing wells and springs within 500
feet of any boundary of the lot in question.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
A general notice of private well test failures sent by the
appropriate local health authority to surrounding and/or neighboring
owners of real property. The notification can include recommendations
to test for the parameters of concern to the owners of surrounding
or neighboring properties served by wells.
PUMPING TEST
A test made by pumping a well for a period of time and observing
the change in water levels (hydraulic head) in pumping and observation
wells in the aquifer.
PUMPING TEST, CONSTANT RATE
A pumping test during which the discharge rate from the pumping
well is maintained at a constant rate for the duration of the test.
QUALIFIED HYDROGEOLOGIST
An individual who has received a minimum of a Bachelor's
degree in Geology at an accredited institution or has completed an
equivalent of 30 semester hours of geological education (including
at least two accredited courses in hydrogeology) while obtaining a
Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related field of engineering or
science at an accredited institution. Such a person must also demonstrate
eight years of professional work experience in the practice of applying
geologic and hydrogeologic principals to interpretation of groundwater
conditions and in the running of aquifer tests and the analysis of
aquifer test data. The individual shall provide a resume or curriculum
vitae to document education and experience requirements.
RECHARGE, AQUIFER
The volume of water that infiltrates to an aquifer, often
expressed in million gallons per year per square mile or gallons per
day per acre.
RECHARGE AREA
An area in which there are downward components of head (water
levels) in an aquifer. Infiltration moves downward to deeper parts
of an aquifer in a recharge area.
RECOVERY
The rate at which the water level in a well rises after the
pump has been shut off. Recovery is the inverse of drawdown.
REPORTING LABORATORY
The certified laboratory responsible for reporting to the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection a complete set of
required information related to the analysis of a private well sample.
SATURATED ZONE
The zone in which the voids in the rock or soil are filled
with water at a pressure greater than atmospheric. The water table
is the top of the saturated zone in an unconfined aquifer.
SECONDARY PARAMETER
A drinking water parameter regulated for aesthetic purposes
rather than health effects under the Safe Drinking Water Act (hereinafter
"SDWA") rules at N.J.A.C. 7:10. Secondary parameters include pH, iron
and manganese.
SPECIFIC CAPACITY (Q/s)
The specific capacity of a well is the rate of discharge
of water from the well divided by the drawdown of water level within
the well. Specific capacity will vary with the duration of pumping.
Specific capacity should be described on the basis of the number of
hours pumping prior to measurement of drawdown. Specific capacity
will generally decrease with increased time of pumping.
STATIC WATER LEVEL
The depth from ground surface to water in a well prior to
the commencement of pumping.
STORAGE COEFFICIENT (STORATIVITY)
The volume of water an aquifer releases or takes into storage
per unit surface area of the aquifer per unit change in head. It equals
the product of specific storage and aquifer thickness. Also known
as storativity.
TRACT
See definition of lot or lot in question.
TRANSMISSIVITY
The rate at which water of a prevailing density and viscosity
is transmitted through a unit width of an aquifer under a unit hydraulic
gradient. Transmissivity equals hydraulic conductivity times aquifer
thickness.
UNSATURATED ZONE
The zone between ground surface and the water table. Pore
spaces in the unsaturated zone contain water at pressures less than
atmospheric. Also referred to as "zone of aeration" and "vadose zone."
WATER QUALITY TEST FAILURE
An exceedence of an applicable drinking water quality standard
of a required test parameter under the Private Well Testing Act. This
term includes all applicable maximum contaminant levels or recommended
limits, or an action level for lead analysis.
WATER TABLE
The surface in an unconfined aquifer or confining bed at
which the pore water pressure is atmospheric. It is defined by the
levels at which water stands in wells that penetrate the water body
just far enough to hold standing water.
WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM
A device applied to the drinking water at a house or building
for the purpose of reducing contaminants in the drinking water distributed
in the house or building. Examples: point-of-entry devices and point-of-use
devices.
WELL
A hole or excavation larger than four inches in diameter
or a hole or excavation deeper than 10 feet in depth that is drilled,
bored, cored, driven, jetted, dug, or otherwise constructed for the
purpose of removal or emplacement of, or investigation of, or exploration
for, fluids, water, oil, gas, minerals, soil, or rock.
WELL INTERFERENCE
The result of two or more pumping wells, the drawdown cones
of which intercept. At a given location, the total well interference
is the sum of the drawdown due to each individual pumping well.
WELL PERMIT
Refers to a written approval issued by the NJDEP, pursuant
to the Well Construction and Maintenance Act Regulations at N.J.A.C.
7:9D, to a licensed well driller which authorizes a licensed well
driller of the proper class to construct a well or wells in accordance
with the permit.
WELL RECORD
The form provided by the NJDEP that depicts the construction
details of a well, which is completed by the well driller subsequent
to well permit issuance and well installation.
The provisions of this article are applicable
to:
A. All residential developments of two or more new lots
or dwelling units and all applications for nonresidential uses involving
either the creation of a new water use or a total projected water
use or consumption greater than 800 gallons per day.
B. The provisions of this article shall not apply to
any agricultural wells that do not trigger either a water allocation
permit pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:19-2.2 or a water usage certification
for agriculture, aquaculture or horticulture pursuant to N.J.A.C.
7:20A-2.
C. Where New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
approval is required for a water allocation permit pursuant to N.J.A.C.
7:19-2.2 or a water usage certification for agriculture, aquaculture
or horticulture pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:20A-2, the Board's approval
shall be contingent upon receipt of the permit or certification, as
applicable, as well as compliance with this article.
The fees to the Township of Andover Land Use Board or Board of Adjustment shall be covered by the development application fees and escrow requirements set forth in Chapter
74, Land Use Procedures, Article
VI, Fees and Costs. Fees to the Township of Andover Board of Health and the Sussex County Health Department shall be as required by those entities.