(a) Location.

1. (1) Surface drainage. Every well must be located:

   1. (A) On a site having good surface drainage, at a higher elevation than, and at a safe distance from, any barnyard, privy, soil pipe, any pipe through which sewage may back up or overflow, or from any other possible source of pollution; and
   2. (B) In such a manner as to prevent the contamination of the water by:

(i) Either underground seepage or channels;

1. (ii) Lakes;

   1. (iii) Ponds; and

      1. (iv) Surface drainage.

2. (2) Proximity to sources of contamination.

   1. (A) The horizontal distance from any such possible source of contamination such as privies, septic tanks, sewers, subsurface pits, subsurface sewage disposal fields, and barnyards must not be less than one hundred feet (100’).
   2. (B) This distance shall be used only where a sanitary survey performed by the Department of Health indicates it to be safe, and greater distances shall be required where local conditions necessitate.
   3. (C) Chemical storage or disposal facilities shall not be located within one hundred feet (100’) of the well, without written approval of the department.
3. (3) Proposed well sites. The location of each proposed well must be approved in writing by the department prior to commencing construction.
4. (4) Location below grade prohibited. No wellhead, well casing, or well pump (except submersible pumps) shall be located in any pit, room, or spaces extending below ground directly over the well.

5. (5) Ownership of restricted buffer (wellhead protection) zone.

   1. (A) The owners of water supplies utilizing a well source shall effectively control a restricted buffer (wellhead protection) zone around the well at one hundred feet (100’) in radius.

   2. (B) Deviation from ownership of the restricted buffer (wellhead protection) zone may be approved by the department for a portion of the restricted buffer (wellhead protection) zone when:

      1. (i) That portion is owned by another entity; and
      2. (ii) Permanent protective easements approved by the department prohibit the conveyance, use, or storage of potential contaminants within the easement.

(b) Well construction.

1. (1)

   1. (A) All public water wells, whether community or noncommunity, shall be constructed in accordance with the latest edition of AWWA Standard A100 and approved by the department.
   2. (B) A copy of the well construction log shall be filed with the department.

2. (2) Casing.

   1. (A)

      1. (i) Every well must have an outside water tight casing extending below the ground surface to such a depth as may be necessary, depending upon the character of the underground formations, to exclude the entrance of undesirable water and subsurface contamination, as determined by the department.
      2. (ii) The outer casing should be seated securely into an impervious formation whenever possible, otherwise the casing should extend as far as practical below the water table.
      3. (iii) The casing, when it extends into a pump room, shall project:

(b) (b) Safely above maximum flood elevation.

1. (B)

   1. (i) The annular space between the excavation line and the outside of the casing shall be filled with impervious cement grout in such a manner as to prevent surface water or shallow ground water from running directly down the outside of the casing.

      1. (ii) The required depth of the grout seal will be determined by the department after a review of the geological formation.
2. (3) Surface protection. When required, the well must be protected at the surface by a water tight slab or platform extending a minimum of two feet (2’) in all directions from the well and sloped to provide drainage away from the well.

3. (4) Wellhead and pump.

   1. (A) The discharge tee of the pump, together with the valves, shall be above the pump room floor.
   2. (B) Any pump placed immediately over the well casing must have a watertight metal base to form a cover for the well.
   3. (C) The base plate of the pump shall be recessed on the underside to permit the casing to extend into it at least one inch (1”) above the level of the concrete foundation.

   4. (D) All air-relief vent openings must be:

      1. (i) At least twenty-four inches (24”) above the floor; and
      2. (ii) Screened and protected against the possibility of contaminating material entering the vent.

   5. (E) Each wellhead shall be provided with:

      1. (i) A raw water sample tap; and
      2. (ii) The means for measuring drawdown.
   6. (F) Exceptions to this may be allowed for pitless adapters provided they conform with all requirements of the latest edition of Recommended Standards for Waterworks by the Great Lakes – Upper Mississippi River Board of State Sanitary Engineers (Ten States Standards).

4. (5) Abandonment of wells.

   1. (A) All abandoned wells in consolidated formations must be filled from bottom to within two feet (2’) of the top with cement.
   2. (B) All wells in unconsolidated formations must be filled with sand or natural material from the bottom to twelve feet (12’) from the ground surface, and with bentonite or cement from twelve feet (12’) to two feet (2’) from the ground surface.
   3. (C) The record of abandonment must be filed with the department.

   4. (D) See Commission on Water Well Construction Rules, 17 CAR pt. 15, Natural Resources Commission, for more detailed information on requirements.

      1. (c) Raw water quality. The raw water at the wellhead shall not contain organic, inorganic, or radiochemical contaminants that would not be removed or reduced to acceptable levels by a reasonable method of water treatment.