Appendix 4814. Standards.

(a)

Standards for the construction, relocation, replacement, repair, backup or standby, modification or destruction of wells shall be those set forth in the Department of Water Resources, California Well Standards Bulletins Nos. 74-81 and 74-90, and Ventura County Water Well Standards Bulletin No. 74-9.

(b)

The Agency may adopt additional or more stringent standards to be applicable in any or all zones of the County as delineated in the aforementioned Bulletins.

(c)

All wells shall be constructed with a sounding tube, tap hole with plug, or similar access for water level measuring equipment. For wells fitted with a well cap, the cap shall have a removable plug for this purpose. (State of California Department of Water Resources Bulletin No. 74-81)

Well discharge piping shall contain a water sampling port or valve for water quality sampling.

Every new water well shall be equipped with a flowmeter. This flowmeter requirement does not apply to de minimis extractors. For those required to have flowmeters, flowmeters will be calibrated and a report submitted to the Agency at a minimum of every three (3) years. The specifications for flowmeter calibration are set forth in Appendix 1. Substitution of comparable flowmeter calibration specifications may be approved upon review by the Director.

(d)

All pump discharge pipes not discharging or open to the atmosphere shall be equipped with an automatic device to prevent backflow and/or siphonage into a well. Specific backflow prevention measures are required for drinking water supply wells as prescribed in Title 17, Public Health, California Code of Regulations (Sections 7583-7585 and 7601-7605), effective June 25, 1987. (State of California Department of Water Resources Well Standard Bulletin No. 74-90) Irrigation well systems, including those used for landscape irrigation and other well systems that employ, or which have been modified to employ, chemical feeders or injectors, shall be equipped with a backflow prevention device (State of California Department of Water Resources Well Standard Bulletin No. 74-90). A check valve may also be utilized to meet this backflow prevention requirement.

(e)

All community water supply wells and individual domestic wells shall be provided with a pipe or other effective means through which chlorine or other disinfecting agents may be introduced directly into the well. If a pipe is provided, it shall be installed at a height at or above the pump slab, shall be kept sealed, and shall be provided with a threaded or other secure cap. Equivalent protection for preventing contaminants from entering the well shall be provided for subsurface pump discharge installations. If an air relief vent is used, it shall terminate downward and be screened with 16 mesh screen to prevent contaminants from entering the vent.

(f)

Every new, repaired or modified community water supply well or individual domestic water well, after construction, modification or repair, and before being placed into service, shall be thoroughly cleaned of all foreign substances and shall be thoroughly disinfected utilizing the procedures set forth in Appendix C of the aforementioned Bulletin No. 74-81.

(g)

For irrigation and industrial wells chemicals of any type are not to be injected, pumped or poured into the well with the exception of disinfectants following any well rehabilitation work. Rehabilitation work may include use of chemicals to clean or remove scale from the well casing and gravel pack (if installed). Chemicals used for disinfection of groundwater extracted from the well shall be injected downstream from a backflow prevention device. Continuous injection or drip of chemicals into the well is prohibited.

(h)

Engineering test holes deeper than fifty (50) feet shall be destroyed within one (1) working day upon completion of testing by completely filling and/or sealing of the borehole in accordance with criteria established by the Agency. The Agency may waive complete sealing if the permittee demonstrates to the Director's satisfaction that the purpose of this Article as set forth in Section 4811 will be satisfied.

(i)

No well, regardless of status, shall be left unattended without a cap that has been constructed to prevent the accidental access to the well by a person or animal, or have an opening that allows the well to be susceptible to contaminants or pollution.

(j)

All wells shall be located an adequate horizontal distance from potential sources of contamination and pollution as specified in the Department of Water Resources, California Well Standards Bulletin No. 74-81, Section 8.A.

(Ord. No. 4468, § 1, 12-16-2014)