[Ord. 262, 9/17/2007]
The purpose of this Part is to attempt to provide that new wells constructed in Wrightstown Township are able to provide a reliable, safe, and adequate water supply to support intended uses within the capacity of available groundwater resources; to attempt to determine that new wells do not infringe upon the performance of existing wells; to provide for the collection of accurate groundwater information; and to implement Article I, Section 27, of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which decrees that the people have a right to pure water.
[Ord. 262, 9/17/2007]
If any sentence, clause, section, or part of this Part is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality or invalidity shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, sections or parts of this Part. It is hereby declared as the intent of the Wrightstown Board of Supervisors that this Part would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal or invalid sentence, clause, section or part thereof not been included herein.
[Ord. 262, 9/17/2007]
The provisions of this Part shall be interpreted and applied as minimum requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. This Part should be interpreted in pari materia with any other ordinances, regulations or statutes. Whenever provisions of this Part cannot be reconciled with the provisions of any other applicable ordinance, statute or regulation, then that ordinance, statute or regulation which imposes greater restrictions, requires a greater level of testing, imposes a higher standard or is least permissive shall control. In the event any provision of this Part is preempted by a superior governmental regulatory or statutory scheme, then the provision(s) of this Part so preempted shall not apply unless the applicant is seeking dedication to Wrightstown Township of the proposed well(s) or water system, in which case compliance with all the provisions of this Part shall be a condition of dedication.
[Ord. 262, 9/17/2007]
For the purpose of this Part, the following words or phrases shall have the meanings given in the following definitions:
ADVERSELY AFFECT(S)(ED)/ADVERSE EFFECT(S)
With regard to wells impacted by a well or wells for which permits are secured, a draw down and decrease in water supply, a problem of quality of water, a problem of the odor or turbidity of water, and/or any other related problem which results in impairment of the supply or quality of water from wells for domestic or agricultural use.
AQUIFER TEST
Water is withdrawn from a well at a measured rate over a measured time increment to determine the ability of the aquifer to supply the required amount of water in a manner which is sustainable given the natural hydrologic and hydrogeologic system and does not cause damage to the environment or other wells.
AQUIFER TEST OBSERVATION WELL
A well installed as part of an aquifer test for the purpose of monitoring groundwater elevations during the test.
BCHD
Bucks County Health Department.
BOARD
Board of Supervisors of Wrightstown Township.
BUSINESS
Commercial, industrial, and professional activity, whether conducted for profit or not for profit.
CAPACITY
Capacity of the well shall mean the amount of water, which can be withdrawn from the well either by pumping or free flowing. The capacity does not mean the anticipated average withdrawal rate on the well. The capacity of a well may vary seasonally and change with time.
CODE OFFICIAL
The person designated by Wrightstown Township to receive building, zoning, subdivision and land development applications and/or to enforce Township ordinances.
CONSUMER
A person, partnership, association or corporation, and shall mean anyone to whom water is supplied by the Township, whether as owner or tenant.
DRBC
The Delaware River Basin Commission.
DRILLING
All action necessary for the construction or reconstruction of wells such as drilling, boring, coring, washing, digging, driving, or jetting. This shall not apply to drilling of blast holes in quarries or to core holes drilled for geotechnical exploration or investigation.
EQUIVALENT DWELLING UNIT
A habitation intended for occupancy by a single family.
FULL PRODUCTION
The point in time when the residential development is first fully occupied that the well, or well cluster, is intended to serve; or in the case of a nonresidential use, the point in time when the use has reached its full water demand.
GEOTHERMAL WELL
A well to be utilized for heating purposes, cooling purposes, or both.
GROUNDWATER
Water that is naturally contained underground.
HYDROLOGIC BUDGET
A hydrologic budget for a given area describes the relationship between groundwater recharge, groundwater discharge and the change in groundwater storage. To ensure adequate water supply over the long term, groundwater discharge through streams and well pumping should not exceed groundwater recharge. Some temporary depletion of groundwater storage is acceptable during dry periods, provided that this loss can be replaced by recharge over an average of five years and it does not adversely affect other wells or streams.
HYDROLOGIC ENVIRONMENT
That surface water and aquifer system determined by the water resources impact study required in Part 2F hereof within which the utilization of the proposed well(s) will have an impact upon the underlying aquifer(s) or has the potential to adversely affect pre-existing wells. The land area of the hydrologic environment is to be depicted on a plan as required by the water resources impact study.
INDIVIDUAL WATER SUPPLY
Wells intended to supply water on the property of a private home or to service no more than two residential dwellings.
MONITORING WELL
A well utilized for measuring of groundwater elevations and/or quality but not for water supply.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Construction pursuant to a valid building permit issued subsequent to the date of enactment hereof.
PA DEP
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
PEAK DEMAND RATE
The average rate of discharge of water from a well, in gallons per minute, during peak demand periods. For residential use, the peak demand rate shall be determined using the fixture unit values as provided by Act 45 and the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) current editions. For commercial/ industrial uses, the peak demand rate shall be determined by the intended use of the facility.
PERSONS
Any individual, company, municipality, political subdivision, corporation, partnership, municipal authority, association, or any agency of county, state, or federal government as well as a natural person and shall additionally mean anyone to whom water is supplied by the Township, whether as owner or tenant. This term shall include the officers, employees and agents of any of the above-listed entities.
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
A system for the provision of water for human consumption which serves three or more dwelling units or one or more commercial, industrial or institutional uses.
RE-DRILLING
Increasing the depth or diameter of an existing well.
REPLACEMENT WELL
The abandoning of an existing Class 1 well (hereinafter defined) and replacing it with a newly drilled well.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Wrightstown.
UNDERGROUND WATERS
Waters contained within the interstitial spaces in soil or rock or within fractures, bedding planes or other breaks in bedrock or waters of underground streams, channels, artesian basins, or other bodies of water in or under the ground, whether percolating or otherwise.
WELL
Any excavation that is drilled, cored, washed, driven, dug or otherwise constructed for the location, diversion, or acquisition of underground waters or charging of waters into the underground strata.
WELL CLUSTER
The wells that will serve the individual lots in a subdivision of four or more lots or any community well.
WELL DRILLER
Any water well contractor licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Bucks County Health Department (BCHD), his employees, or representatives in responsible charge of drilling or otherwise constructing a well.
[Ord. 262, 9/17/2007]
1. 
No person within the Township shall drill a well or withdraw groundwater for any purpose by use of a well except as permitted by this Part and within the regulations herein set forth.
2. 
An occupancy permit for a new residential or nonresidential building, structure, or addition to a building, which is to be served by a new Class 1 well (hereinafter defined), shall not be issued unless the new well meets the requirements of this Part and those of the PA DEP, DRBC and the BCHD publications Rules and Regulations Governing Individual Water Supply Systems and Individual Water Supply Well Construction Specifications.
3. 
Preliminary plan approval of a major subdivision or land development that will be served by a Class 2 or 3 well (hereinafter defined) shall be contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the well testing and water resources impact studies required herein.
4. 
This Part applies to existing wells only when they are being reactivated, redrilled or their use is being expanded by more than 1,000 gallons per day.