These regulations are intended to protect the public health
and general welfare of the Town of Dover by ensuring that private
wells and pumping systems are constructed in a manner that will protect
the homeowner, the quality of groundwater in the Town, and the aquifer
from which it is derived.
AGENT
Any person designated by the Board of Health to enforce these
regulations. The agent shall have all the authority of the Board and
shall be directly responsible to the Board and under its direction
and control.
APPLICANT
Any person who intends to have a private well constructed.
AQUIFER
A water-bearing geologic formation, group of formations or
part of a formation that contains sufficient permeable material to
yield significant quantities of water for consumption.
BENTONITE GROUT
A mixture of Bentonite (API Standard 13A) and water in a
ratio of not less than one pound of Bentonite per gallon of water.
BOARD
The Board of Health, Dover, Massachusetts (or its authorized
agent).
CASING
Impervious steel pipe placed in a borehole to prevent the
walls from caving in and to serve as a vertical conduit for the water
in the well. Casings shall be a minimum of six inches inside diameter.
CERTIFIED LABORATORY
Any laboratory, which has full certification granted by the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection as provided by
the most recent edition of "Certification Status of Commercial Environmental
Laboratories." Provisional certification shall also qualify.
CONCRETE
A mixture of Portland Cement ASTM Standard Type I or API
Standard 10A Class A sand, gravel, and water in a proportion of not
more than five parts of sand plus gravel to one part cement by volume
and not more than six gallons of water.
DRAWDOWN (TANKS)
The available volume of water that can be removed from a
fully charged tank or tanks to the point of pump turn-on for recharge.
DRILLED WELL
A well constructed by a cable tool or rotary-drilling machine.
DUG WELL
Any well, designed for the purpose of supplying water, that
is hand- or machine-excavated rather than driven or drilled. Dug wells
are prohibited.
FRACKING
The pumping of water under pressure into a drilled well in
order to open fractures and fissures to increase water volume.
GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP WELL
Any excavation by any method for the purpose of transferring heat to or from the earth for heating and cooling purposes. Ground source heat pump wells shall be installed in accordance with MassDEP guidelines; §§
233-6 through
233-11 of these regulations do not apply to such wells.
IRRIGATION WELL
Any driven or drilled well used for the sole purpose of watering
or irrigation. Wells used for irrigation shall meet all requirements
for a private drinking water well and must be approved by the Board
or its agent. The applicant may request a waiver, in writing, from
the five-foot minimum depth for the irrigation line but acknowledges
that in the event the irrigation line will be connected to the dwelling
it will be reinstalled to the required five-foot depth. In no circumstances
shall there be more than one water line servicing the dwelling.
MASSACHUSETTS CERTIFIED WELL DRILLER
Any person or company properly certified by the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts pursuant to 310 CMR 46.00, or registered with the
Commonwealth pursuant to the predecessor regulations (313 CMR 3.00),
to install wells.
MASSDEP
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
MONITOR WELL
A pipe driven into the ground at varying depths for the purpose of measuring groundwater depths or obtaining water samples but not for water supply. Sections
233-6 through
233-11 of these regulations do not apply to such wells.
NEAT CEMENT GROUT
A mixture consisting of one bag (94 pounds) of Portland Cement
(ASTM Standard C150, Type I or API Standard 10, Class A) to not more
than six gallons of clean water. Bentonite (API Standard 13A), up
to 2% by weight of cement, shall be added to reduce shrinkage. Other
additives, as described in ASTM Standard C494, may be used to increase
fluidity and/or control.
PERSON
An individual, corporation, company, association, trust or
partnership.
PRIVATE DRINKING WATER WELL
Any driven or drilled well developed to supply, test or monitor
water for human consumption, that is not regulated by 310 CMR 22.00.
PUMP TEST
A procedure for the purpose of establishing a flow rate volume
and for obtaining a water sample for lab testing.
RECHARGE TIME (TANKS)
The total amount of time needed to recharge with water the
tank or tanks from pump turn-on until turn-off on a normal pump cycle.
SAND CEMENT GROUT
A mixture consisting of Portland Type I Cement, sand, and
water in the proportion of one part Portland cement to at least three
and no more than four parts sand by volume and not more than six gallons
of water per bag (94 pounds) Portland Cement.
SHALLOW DRIVEN WELL
A well constructed by driving a small-diameter pipe into
shallow water-bearing sand or gravel.
STRUCTURE
A combination of materials assembled at a location to give
support or shelter such as a building, framework, retaining wall,
fence or the like.
WATER SYSTEM
A combination of equipment (pumps, tanks, pipes, controls,
etc.) used for the purpose of supplying water.
WELL
A hole with a depth greater than its largest surface diameter,
developed to withdraw groundwater.
Ground source heat pump wells (either open or closed loop systems)
shall be installed using MassDEP guidelines for ground source heat
pump wells, and any other requirements the Board or its agent deem
necessary to protect the public health. Such wells shall conform to
all applicable Massachusetts regulations. The agent shall review the
design plans to verify such conformity.
Each well must supply adequate water for the purpose for which
it is intended and shall give satisfactory evidence of continuing
capability to do so.
A. Drilled wells for domestic use shall produce a minimum of 3 1/2
gallons per minute for up to a three-bedroom home. For each additional
bedroom 1/2 gallon per minute shall be added to the total water yield.
All rooms other than one dining room, one family room, one living
room, halls, bathrooms, and kitchens shall be considered a bedroom.
For nondomestic drilled well uses, yield shall be at least 3 1/2
gallons per minute. This minimum may be reduced if the yield is sufficient
for the intended use, with the approval of the agent.
B. Shallow driven wells for domestic or irrigation use shall be fully developed, shall produce two times the required volume (as set forth in Subsection
A above) at a vacuum of less than 20 inches and shall be free of sand, clay, silt and other materials under foreseeable conditions. Shallow driven wells may be approved by the Board or its agent in circumstances where a drilled well cannot be constructed.
Any person aggrieved by a final order, variance, or well construction
permit (or denial of a variance or a well construction permit) may
appeal to any court of competent jurisdiction as provided by the laws
of the Commonwealth.
If any provision of these regulations is held to be invalid
by a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity shall be limited
to said provision(s) and the remainder of these regulations shall
remain valid and effective.
The issuance of a well permit shall not be construed as a guarantee
by the Board or its agent that the water system will function satisfactorily
nor that the water supply will be of sufficient quality or quantity
for its intended use.