The purpose of this article is to protect public health, safety
and welfare and to prevent contamination of water supplies by assuring
that unused, unsafe or noncomplying wells or wells which may act as
conduits for contamination of groundwater or wells which may be illegally
cross-connected to the municipal water system are properly maintained
or properly filled and sealed.
This article applies to all wells located on premises served by the Village of Denmark municipal water system. Communities outside the jurisdiction of a supplying municipal system may be required by code, contract agreement, or utility rule to adopt and enforce equivalent ordinances within their jurisdictions for purposes stated in §
296-21 above.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
COMMUNITIES SERVED
Any jurisdiction having customers supplied by a municipal
water system as retail or wholesale customers, including those outside
the jurisdiction of the supplying system.
MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM
A community water system owned by a city, village, county,
town, town sanitary district, utility district, public inland lake
and rehabilitation district, municipal water district or a federal,
state, county, or municipal owned institution for congregate care
or correction, or a privately owned water utility serving the foregoing.
NONCOMPLYING
A well or pump installation which does not comply with § NR
812.42, Wis. Stats., Standards for Existing Installations, and which
has not been granted a variance pursuant to § NR 812.43,
Wis. Adm. Code.
PUMP INSTALLATION
The pump and related equipment used for withdrawing water
from a well, including the discharge piping, the underground connections,
pitless adapters, pressure tanks, pits, sampling faucets and well
seals or caps.
SERVED BY
Any property having a water supply pipe extending onto it
which is connected to the municipal water system.
UNSAFE WELL OR PUMP INSTALLATION
One which produces water which is bacteriologically contaminated
or contaminated with other substances exceeding the drinking water
standards of Ch. NR 140 or 809, Wis. Adm. Code, or for which a health
advisory has been issued by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
UNUSED WELL
One which does not have a functional pumping system or other
complying means of withdrawing water.
WELL
A drill hole or other excavation or opening deeper than it
is wide that extends more than 10 feet below the ground surface constructed
for the purpose of obtaining groundwater.
WELL ABANDONMENT
The proper filling and sealing or decommissioning of a well
according to the provisions of § NR 812.26, Wis. Adm. Code.
All wells on premises served by the municipal water system shall be properly filled and sealed in accordance with §
296-26 of this article no later than 365 days from the date of connection to the municipal water system, or discovery or construction of a well, unless a valid well operation permit has been issued to the well owner by the Village of Denmark under the terms of §
296-25 of this article.
Any well owner violating any provision of this article shall upon conviction be punished by forfeiture established in §
1-4 of this Code. Each day of violation is a separate offense. If any person fails to comply with this article for more than 30 days after receiving written notice of the violation, the municipality may impose a penalty and cause the well abandonment to be performed and the expense to be assessed as a special tax against the property.