C. The director, after consulting with the appropriate groundwater users advisory council established pursuant to title 45, chapter 2, article 2 if the aquifer is in an active management area, and a public hearing held pursuant to section 49-208, may change the classification of an aquifer or part of an aquifer for a protected use other than drinking water on making all of the following findings:

1. 1. The identified aquifer or part of an aquifer is or will be so hydrologically isolated from other aquifers or other parts of the same aquifer that there is no reasonable probability that poorer quality water from the identified aquifer or part of an aquifer will cause or contribute to a violation of aquifer water quality standards in other aquifers or parts of the same aquifer.
2. 2. Water from the identified aquifer or part of an aquifer is not being used as drinking water.
3. 3. The short-term and long-term benefits to the public that would result from the degradation of the quality of the water in the identified aquifer or part of an aquifer below standards established pursuant to section 49-223, subsections A and B would significantly outweigh the short-term and long-term costs to the public of such degradation. Benefits and costs to be considered include economic, social and environmental.