[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Health of the Town of Plainville 1-23-2019.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Well safety bylaw — See Ch. 463.
Groundwater and water supply protection — See Ch. 611.
Penalties; Noncriminal Disposition Fine Schedule — See Ch. 675.
[1]
Editor’s Note: These regulations also superseded former
Ch. 784, Wells, adopted as Section 4 of the Plainville Board of Health
Regulations.
A.
The purpose of these water well regulations is to promote the health,
safety, and welfare of the public by protecting the quality of the
Town's groundwater through the provision of minimum standards.
B.
It is intended that these standards be met with economical construction
methods commonly employed in Massachusetts. These regulations shall
apply to water wells which will have less than 15 service connections
that regularly supply less than 25 persons.
In accordance with MGL c. 111, § 31, as amended, in
regards to wells in the Town of Plainville.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A well that has not been used for water supply for a period
of one year or more, unless the owner declares his intention to use
the well again for supplying water within one year of the time use
ceased.
A water-bearing geological formation (consolidated or unconsolidated)
that transmits water in sufficient quantities to supply a well.
An impervious durable pipe placed in a hole to prevent the
walls from caving in, and to seal off surface draining or undesirable
water, gas, or other fluids and prevent their entering the well. Specific
types include:
TEMPORARY CASINGA temporary casing placed in soft, sandy, or caving surface formation to prevent the hole from caving in during drilling.
PROTECTIVE CASINGThe principal well casing.
The Water Resources Commission established under Chapter
620 of Acts of 1956.[1]
The measured distance between the static water level and
the pumping water level.
The room or group of rooms within a dwelling used or intended
for use by one family or household for living, sleeping, cooking and
eating. Dwelling unit shall also mean a condominium unit.
Water that is safe for human consumption.
The local Board of Health or its designee which shall administer
regulations pertaining to water well construction.
The distance measured from established ground surface to
the water surface in a well not being pumped, influenced by pumping
nearby, or flowing under artesian pressure.
Any person, association, partnership, company, corporation,
or trust that constructs a water well licensed by the Water Resource
Commission.
Any hole or shaft constructed into the ground for the purpose
of extracting or injecting water. This definition shall not include
wells to dewater excavations or stabilize hillside or earth embankments.
It shall include wells connected to heat pumps.
HEAT PUMP WELLConsists of a source well and a discharge well which could be one in the same, provided that it is a closed loop system where nothing is added to or taken from the water except heat and no air is in contact with the return water. A heat pump delivers water by way of the source well from an aquifer through a heat exchanger and returns it to the aquifer via the discharge well. The system utilizes the thermal energy stored in groundwater for space heating or cooling.
DOMESTIC WELLA well used for domestic water supply with one service connection and/or serving less than 25 people. This shall include residential lawn and garden irrigation wells.
POTABLE INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL WELLSWells for commercial and industrial drinking water supply or food processing.
LOCAL WATER SUPPLYA well which supplies drinking water for two to 14 service connections which serve less than 25 people.
[1]
Editor's Note: See MGL c. 21, § 8.
These standards shall apply to all types of wells described in § 784-3. Before a change in existing well use is made, the new use shall comply with requirements specified herein.
No person shall engage in the business of constructing wells
within the commonwealth unless he is registered with the Water Resources
Commission, Division of Water Resources, as required by the Water
Well Drillers Registration Act (MGL c. 21, § 16[1]).
[1]
Editor's Note: Said statute was repealed by St. 2009, c. 4,
effective 10-1-2009. See now MGL c. 21G, § 20.
A.
Within 30 days after completion of any water well (productive or
nonproductive), a registered well driller shall submit to the Board
a report containing:
(1)
Name of the owner of the well.
(2)
Geographic location of the well (this shall be given accurately to
enable easy plotting on a U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Map,
1:25.00 scale).
(3)
Well depth, and depth to the bedrock or refusal.
(4)
Casing type, size, and length.
(5)
Well screen type, length, and depth set.
(6)
Static water level.
(7)
Method used to test well yield, length of time (in hours) well pumped,
drawdown, well yield, and drilling logs describing the material penetrated.
B.
Reports forms may be issued by the regulating agency upon request.
A.
Special standard. In locations where geological or hydrological conditions
require more restrictive or additional standards than those described
herein, such special standards may be required by the Board.
B.
Injection wells. The construction of injection wells for liquid waste
disposal is prohibited.
C.
Well construction permits.
(1)
A well construction permit shall be obtained from the Board prior
to the construction of any water well or well system.
(2)
An application for a water well construction permit shall be submitted
by the drilling contractor or his agent to the Board, its agent, on
forms furnished by the Board. The well contractor is responsible for
obtaining said permit prior to well construction.
(3)
The location, design, and operation of the water well must be approved
by the Board, or its agency, prior to construction.
A.
In establishing the location of a water well, the driller shall give
consideration to sources of contamination which exist on, or adjacent
to, the site. All water supply wells shall be located an adequate
horizontal distance from potential sources of contamination and pollution.
B.
Variable geological and hydrological conditions make it impossible
to establish regulations to suit all conditions. The following minimum
lateral distances shall apply to common sources of contamination listed:
(1)
The minimum setback from a leaching area shall be determined by the
soil percolation rate and the vertical clearance of the leaching area
above the high groundwater (HGW) as follows.
|
Distance From Leaching Area
(feet)
|
Height Above HGW
(feet)
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Percolation rate 2 minutes per inch or less
|
175+
|
5
|
|
151 to 174
|
6
| |
|
126 to 150
|
7
| |
|
100 to 125
|
8
| |
|
Percolation rate >2 to 8 minutes per inch
|
175+
|
4
|
|
151 to 174
|
5
| |
|
126 to 150
|
6
| |
|
100 to 125
|
7
| |
|
Percolation rate > 8 to < 15 minutes per inch
|
150+
|
4
|
|
126 to 149
|
5
| |
|
100 to 125
|
6
| |
|
Percolation rate 15+ minutes per inch
|
125+
|
4
|
|
100 to 124
|
5
|
|
Sources of Contamination
|
Minimum Lateral Distances
(feet)
|
|---|---|
|
Septic tank
|
50
|
|
Distribution box
|
100
|
|
Sewer footing drains with cast-iron watertight joints
|
50
|
|
Any site which constitutes, in the opinion of the Board, a hazardous
waste site, including fuel tanks, landfills, junkyards, landscaping
businesses, etc.
|
Board's discretion
|
(2)
A water well shall also be a minimum of 50 feet from all property
lines.
(3)
Water wells shall be a minimum of 100 feet apart.
C.
Where, in the opinion of the Board, adverse conditions exist, the
above distances may be increased. In certain cases special means of
protection may be provided. Where possible, the well shall be up the
groundwater gradient (upstream) from sources of contamination. The
top of a well shall be above ground that is higher than any surface
sources of contamination and above any known conditions of flooding
by drainage or runoff from the surrounding land, unless located in
a floodproofed well house.
D.
The construction of a well in a wetland shall be prohibited.
A.
Casing material.
(2)
Permanent wells shall be cased with not less than Schedule 40 steel,
or not less than Schedule 40 PVC plastic, concrete, or other durable
pipe material.
(3)
The thickness of casing shall be selected in accordance with good
design practice as applied to conditions encountered in the area where
the well is to be located.
B.
A well casing, or extension thereof, shall extend vertically at least
18 inches above established ground surface, or above the floor of
an approved pump pit.
C.
All casing shall be placed with sufficient care to avoid damage to
casing sections and joints. All casing joints above perforations or
screens shall be watertight.
D.
Water well pipe salvaged from water test holes or nonproductive holes
may be used as new pipe if in good condition. Pipe intended for water
well use is subject to random examination by the regulating agency,
which shall reject defective pipe. Pipe considered defective includes,
but is not limited to:
The annular space between the protective well casing and the
wall of the drilled hole or the surface casing shall be effectively
sealed to protect against contamination or pollution by surface and/or
shallow subsurface waters. This shall be accomplished in accordance
with guidelines set forth below.
A.
Depth of seal.
(1)
The following is the minimum depth of seal below ground surface for
various uses of wells:
|
Type
|
Depth of Surface Seal
(feet)
|
|---|---|
|
Local water supply wells
|
20
|
|
Domestic wells
|
4
|
(2)
Exceptions are shallow wells where the water to be developed is a
depth of less than 20 feet. In this instance, the depth of seal may
be reduced, and special precautions shall be taken in locating the
well with respect to possible sources of contaminations.
(3)
The annular space shall be sealed to a minimum depth of 20 feet from the surface of the ground when the well is close to individual domestic wells or to sources of contamination or pollution as described in § 784-8.
(4)
Local conditions, such as the existence of shallow subsurface waters
of undesirable quality, may warrant consideration of sealing the annular
space around the agricultural wells.
B.
Sealing conditions. The following are requirements for sealing the
protective casing of a well:
(1)
(2)
Wells that penetrate impervious formations. If a consolidated formation or an impervious unconsolidated formation is encountered within five feet of the specified depth of seal described in Subsection A of this section, the seal should be extended at least five feet into the impervious formation.
(3)
Gravel-packed wells. The gravel pack of gravel-packed wells shall
terminate at the base of the protective seal.
(4)
Wells penetrating consolidated rock. A hole of sufficient diameter
to accommodate protective casing must be constructed and the annular
space between rock and casing sealed to the depth specified in this
section.
C.
Sealing material. The sealing material shall consist of neat cement,
cement grout, puddles clay, or concrete. Organic polymer muds shall
not be allowed.
(1)
The neat cement mixture shall be composed of one bag of portland
cement (94 pounds to five to seven gallons of clean water).
(2)
Quick-setting cement, retardants to setting, and other additives
including hydrated lime to make the mix more fluid (up to 10% of the
volume of the cement) and bentonite (up to 5%) to make the mix more
fluid and reduce shrinkage may be used.
(3)
Clay in the form of a mud-laden fluid is similar to and has the advantages
of neat cement and cement grout. This is a disadvantage in that clay
may separate out from the fluid.
(4)
A bentonite-gelatinous mud is recommended. Concrete is useful in
sealing large diameter wells, particularly where the width of annular
ring is several inches or more. However, unless care is exercised
during the placement, the coarse aggregate may become separated from
the cement.
D.
Thickness of seal. The thickness of the seal shall be at least one
inch, and not less than three times the size of the largest coarse
aggregate used in the sealing material.
E.
Placement of seal. The sealing material shall be installed in one
continuous operation from the bottom of the interval to be sealed
to the top.
F.
Sealing casing into bedrock. For all wells which terminate in bedrock,
a permanent casing shall extend from 18 inches above the ground or
floor of a pit into bedrock a minimum of 10 feet below the bedrock
surface.
A well installed in an unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifer
commonly has a well screen. Screen openings shall be properly sized
based on sieve analysis of material at the screen depth. The well
shall be properly developed to produce sand-free water at the pumping
rate of the permanent pump.
Where a well penetrates aquifers separated by confining layers
and any of the aquifers contain water that would be a contaminant,
contaminated strata shall be sealed to prevent entrance of the water
into the well, or its migration to other aquifer(s).
A.
The contaminated stratum shall be sealed by placing impermeable material
in the annular space between the protective casing and the contaminated
stratum.
(1)
The seal shall extend into upper and lower confining formations for
a sufficient vertical distance to prevent the vertical movement of
water from the producing formation.
(2)
Sufficient sealing material shall be installed to fill the annular
space between the casing and the wall in the drilled hole along the
sealed interval and to fill the voids which might absorb sealing material.
Sealing material shall be placed from the bottom to the top of the
sealed interval.
A.
All local water supply, domestic, and industrial wells shall be disinfected
following construction, rehabilitation, and well or pump repair before
the well is placed in service.
B.
The well shall be pumped until the water is as clear as possible.
Thereafter, the well and pumping equipment shall be disinfected with
a solution containing at least 50 ppm of chlorine.
C.
The well shall remain in contact with chlorine solution a minimum
of 24 hours before the well is pumped to waste and chlorine flushed
from the distribution system. All water used in drilling should be
disinfected.
A.
Openings into the top of the well which are not to provide access
shall be sealed. All access openings into the well shall be protected
against entrance of surface water.
B.
Where the pump is offset from the well, or the well is equipped with
a submersible pump, the opening between the protective casing and
any distribution pipes or support or electrical cables which enter
the well shall have a watertight seal.
C.
All holes into the pump that are open to the well shall be sealed.
D.
All wells equipped with a pump shall have a watertight cap at all
times.
E.
All below-ground discharge pipes shall have a watertight seal or
gasket between the discharge pipe and well casing.
F.
Any concrete base or slab (sometimes called a "pump block" or "pump
pedestal") constructed around the top of a casing shall be watertight
and free from cracks at least six inches above the pump floor.
(1)
Pump blowoff. Any pump discharge blowoff or drain line shall be located
as to not be affected by flooding, back siphons, or back pressure,
and shall not be connected to a sewer.
All well development and rehabilitation shall be done with care
and by methods that will not cause damage to the well, degrade groundwater
quality, or alter subsurface conditions to allow vertical movement
of contaminated water between aquifers. Hydrofracking of any well
will not be considered unless the current well is a minimum of 600
feet deep, and will require a variance from the Board of Health. The
use of explosives for well development shall be prohibited.
Chemical, physical, and bacteriological analysis of the water,
conducted by a Massachusetts certified laboratory, shall be required.
Water which does not meet the accepted standards of agencies of the
state or federal government for potable water supplies shall be grounds
for the rejection of the well. The well shall be sampled as follows:
A.
Prior to approval for issuance of a building permit, a sample shall
be collected.
B.
Prior to occupancy of the facility that the well is to serve or any
use of the well water, a sample shall be collected from the building
by a representative of the testing laboratory or an independent service,
maintaining a chain of custody.
C.
The samples shall be tested for the following parameters.
D.
The Board of Health may require other parameters to be tested when,
in its opinion, circumstances particular to the subject location warrant
it.
E.
Concentrations shall not exceed the United States EPA Recommended
Maximum Contaminant Levels for Primary and Secondary Drinking Water
Regulations in effect at the time of testing. If the concentration
of sodium is greater than 20 milligrams per liter, or if the nitrate
nitrogen concentration is greater than five milligrams per liter,
or if a volatile organic is detected in any concentration, a document
shall be recorded in the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, which identifies
the chemicals, their concentrations, and their health effects. A whole
house treatment system for removal of volatile organics shall be installed
if they are detected. A statement shall be included in the recorded
documents to the effect that the treatment unit requires regular maintenance.
If volatile organics are detected in a water sample and then found
to be absent in a subsequent sampling, the requirements for a recorded
document and treatment unit shall only be removed following two successive
samplings which show the absence of such contamination. When treatment
units are installed, sampling and analysis must be performed and submitted
to the Board of Health to demonstrate that the treatment is effective.
Permanent disinfection of a polluted water supply is prohibited.
If the natural water quality does not meet the physical and chemical
criteria as specified, water conditioning shall be required. Water
softener or other treatment backwash shall not be discharged into
the on-site sewage disposal system. Treatment units shall be installed
with the capability of bypassing such units if necessary or desired.
When treatment units are installed, sampling and analysis must be
performed and submitted to the Board of Health to demonstrate that
the treatment is effective.
Pressure tanks for individual home installation shall be diaphragm
type and have an actual minimum liquid capacity of 32 gallons.
A.
All wells shall be tested to determine yield and water level recovery.
All test records and analysis of safe yield shall be sent to the Board.
Test pumping shall be conducted at a rate at least equal to the pumping
rate expected during normal use. The pump test shall be conducted
for a minimum of four hours, unless the Board requires additional
testing.
B.
The pumping test shall be performed by a licensed pump or well drilling
contractor and in the presence of the Board agent or member; a minimum
of five-gallons-a-minute yield shall be deemed acceptable per dwelling
unit.
A well shall be plumb to allow proper installation and pump
operation.
Special provisions for large diameter (ten-inch or larger in
diameter) shallow wells:
A.
Bored wells. All bored wells shall be cased with concrete pipe or steel casing, with joints which are watertight from six inches above surface to the depths specified in § 784-10. The minimum thickness of the surrounding concrete seal shall be three inches.
(1)
Steel used in the manufacture of casing for bored wells should conform to the specifications for casing material described in § 784-9A(2). Schedule 40 steel casing for dug wells shall be one-fourth-inch U.S. standard gauge (or plate thickness) for wells of diameters 18 inches to 48 inches.
(2)
Precast concrete pipe is usually composed of concrete rings from
one to six feet in diameter and approximately three to eight feet
long. To serve satisfactorily as casing, these rings should be free
of any blemish that would impair their strength or serviceability.
In the portion of the well that is to be sealed the joints shall be
made watertight.
B.
Covers. All bored wells shall be provided with a structurally sound
cover to prevent injury to people and to prevent the entrance of undesirable
water or foreign matter and shall be watertight.
A.
Whenever there is an interruption in work on the well, such as: overnight
shutdown, inclement weather, waiting periods required for the setting
up of sealing materials, tests, installation of the pump, etc., the
well opening shall be closed with a cover to prevent the introduction
of undesirable material into the well and to insure the public safety.
B.
During interruptions of one week or more, a semipermanent cover shall
be installed. For a well cased with steel, a steel cover tack-welded
to the top of the casing is adequate.
Water used for cooling parts of engines, air compressors, or
other equipment, or water used for air conditioning, shall not be
returned to any part of a potable water system or potable aquifer.
All deepening or repair of wells shall meet all the requirements
included in these regulations and shall be done with a permit.
Installation of a water storage reservoir, but not an approved
water pressure tank, requires approval of the Board or its agent.
An owner or occupant using a polluted water supply or a supply
that represents a health hazard shall be notified of the health hazard,
in writing, by the Board or its agent.
A.
Permission may be granted by the Board to use springs, infiltration
tile lines, or other similar sources as a water supply, or to install
water treatment facilities for agricultural purposes. Plans and specifications
for such facilities, together with operating procedures, shall be
approved by the Board.
B.
A physical connection is not permitted between a water supply meeting
the requirements of these regulations and another water supply that
does not meet such requirements without prior approval of the Board.
See Chapter 759, Variances, of the Code of the Town of Plainville.
