N.J. Admin. Code § 7:10-11.7

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 7:10-11.7 - Standards for the construction and development of ground water sources

(a) Any public community water system that uses only ground water sources of supply shall have the firm capacity to meet the applicable peak daily demand as required pursuant to 7:10-11.6(a), except as provided (a)1 below.

1. The Department shall approve an interconnection with another public community water system in lieu of a backup well if a contract or other written binding agreement to obtain sufficient water is executed between the owners of the water systems to be interconnected and if it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Department that such an interconnection will enable the public community water system seeking the interconnection to comply with this subsection.

(b) Ground water sources of supply shall be protected as follows:

1. A public community water system shall acquire and control all land within at least a 50 foot radius of any ground water source used for its water supply. Major and minor pollutant sources and non-water system related activities shall be prohibited within the specified area. The public community water system may control the land by lease or easement only with prior written approval of the Department.

i. The Department recommends that a public community water system control and/or obtain a conservation easement to land surrounding a ground water source beyond that required pursuant to (b)1 above for watershed protection and future water supply development. If ground water sources are located in unconfined or bedrock aquifers, the Department recommends the minimum land acquisition, dependent upon well capacity, shown in the table below:

Source Capacity	Land Requirement
(MGD)	(Acres)
0-1	1
> 1-2	2
> 2-3	3
> 3-5	5
> 5	5 + 1/2 acre
for each MGD or portion hereof in
excess of 5 MGD

ii. The Department recommends that land acquired for the purpose of watershed protection be in up-gradient areas and equivalent to Tier I as defined in the Well Head Protection Plan (WHPP) adopted by the Department pursuant to the Federal Act.

2. Storm and/or sanitary sewer lines, industrial waste lines, septic tanks, distribution boxes and dry wells are prohibited within 50 feet of a well. Any such line within 100 feet of a well shall be of completely watertight construction (that is, steel, reinforced concrete, cast iron, PVC or other suitable material). Sewage disposal fields and seepage pits are prohibited within 200 feet of a well. Cesspools are prohibited within 200 feet of a well.

i. The Department may reduce the distance restrictions under (b)2 above if a well is constructed in a confined aquifer.

3. Manholes and/or connections to a sanitary sewer system are prohibited within 100 feet of a well, unless the well is constructed in a confined aquifer.

(c) The public community water system shall submit as part of the permit application under this subchapter an inventory of all major and minor pollutant sources and an evaluation of their possible impact on the quality of the ground water source as follows:

1. If a well is proposed to be constructed to withdraw water from a confined aquifer, an inventory and evaluation of major and minor pollutant sources within 500 feet of the well and a detailed description of how the well will be protected from the pollutant sources.

2. If a well is proposed to be constructed to withdraw water from an unconfined or consolidated aquifer, a delineation of the well head protection area (WHPA) in accordance with the New Jersey Well Head Protection Plan (WHPP) adopted by the Department pursuant to the Federal Act and an evaluation of major and minor pollutant sources as follows:

i. All major pollutant sources within the well's zone of contribution (ZOC) of a distance not greater than 12 years time of travel (TOT) or 10,000 feet; and

ii. All minor pollutant sources within the greater distance of either 200 days TOT or 500 feet of the well.

3. Major pollutant sources identified pursuant to (c)2 above that are within either 200 days TOT or 500 feet of the well, whichever is greater, are prohibited unless an appropriate treatment barrier is provided.

4. The supplier of water shall provide an appropriate treatment barrier, or establish a sampling program in order to detect the presence of contamination from any major pollutant source identified pursuant to (c)2 above, if any such source exists in an area bounded by the greater distance of either 200 days TOT or 500 feet from the well and bounded by the lesser distance of either five years TOT or 10,000 feet from the well.

(d) Subject to the provisions of this section, well construction shall meet all applicable requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2 and also conform to any American Water Works Association Standard, ANSI/AWWA-A100-90 as amended and supplemented, incorporated herein by reference, where such standard exceeds the minimum construction standards of N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2. ANSI/AWWA-A100-90 may be obtained as provided at 7:10-11.6(d).

(e) The general requirements for the construction of wells are set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2. Additional requirements for public community water wells are as follows:

1. No portion of a public community water supply system well shall be constructed unless a permit is obtained pursuant to this subchapter.

2. Water used for the drilling or driving of a well shall be obtained only from a source of known potable quality, or shall have been disinfected to meet the chlorine contact period and chlorine residual requirements pursuant to 7:10-11.16(e).

(f) Regulations for pumping equipment are as follows:

1. The pumping equipment for each well shall be designed and installed to prevent contamination and, where necessary, prevent freezing of the water supply.

2. The pump setting shall be such that the pumping level will not fall below the lowest pump bowl when the well is operated at maximum pump capacity.

3. The pump suction inlet shall be set above the screen and in no case shall it be set in the screened area.

4. The pump setting level shall be such as to ensure that the water level does not fall below the top of the screen.

(g) Regulations for auxiliary well piping and equipment are as follows:

1. The discharge pipe from each well shall be provided with a check valve located between the pump and any blowoff, bypass or other connection to the discharge pipe.

2. A well blowoff shall be located after the check valve. The blowoff shall terminate above ground, and shall be protected against contamination.

3. A shutoff valve shall be located on the discharge pipe, after the blowoff, to allow water to be discharged to waste without entering the distribution system.

4. An air relief valve shall be located between the check valve and the well pump.

5. Each well shall be equipped with a water level indicator, discharge pressure gauge, raw water sampling tap, totalizing flow meter, well casing vent, and protected access to the well to permit the direct measurement of the water level.

6. Each well shall be equipped with instrumentation pursuant to 7:10-11.6(b).

7. If the well casing vent is utilized as the access for direct measurement of water level, the inside vent diameter shall not be less than 3/4 of an inch and the well vent shall not be bent at an angle greater than 45 degrees to the well casing.

(h) Regulations for pump testing, sampling and recordkeeping are as follows:

1. Each well shall be tested to determine the water yield. Except as provided in (h)3 below, such testing shall be run at 120 percent of design pump capacity and until either the drawdown or the rate of drawdown is stabilized (0.2 ft/hour or less) for a minimum period of six hours. Minimum pumping durations are as follows:

i. Continuous pumping for at least 72 hours in consolidated formations.

ii. Continuous pumping for at least 24 hours in unconsolidated formations or longer when required by the Department under a water supply allocation permit issued pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:19.

2. Records of flow rate and drawdown shall be made at least at one hour intervals (or more frequent for tests pursuant to 7:19-2.2 ) during the test, and the water levels during the recovery period shall be recorded in accordance with the New Jersey Geological Survey Report GSR 29, Guidelines for Preparing Hydrogeological Reports for Water-Allocation Permit Applications. These guidelines can be obtained from the Department, Maps and Publications Office, PO Box 438, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0438.

3. A pump test may be run at 100 percent of design pump capacity for a minimum period of 72 hours if stabilized drawdown is achieved and the well is designed so that the pump intake level is not dewatered if the well were to pump continuously for 30 days.

4. For wells in unconfined or rock aquifers, the discharge during a pump test shall be released at a distance where there is no interference or recharge during the test.

5. Water samples shall be taken during the pump test period and examined for bacteriological and chemical quality in accordance with State primary and secondary drinking water regulations at N.J.A.C. 7:10-5 and 7.

(i) Regulations for protection of well heads are set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:9D-2. Additional requirements for the protection of well heads for public community water supplies are as follows:

1. The well head shall be constructed so as to ensure the protection of the well from contamination.

2. The casing pipe and protective curbing of all wells shall extend at least 12 inches above the pump house floor or the grade near the well.

3. The pump house floor shall be sloped away from the well head and the floor shall be above the 100 year flood elevation.

4. The space between the pump column and the inner casing of the well shall have a vent protected with a downfacing elbow or a mushroom type head located above the flood level. All vents shall be screened against the entry of insects.

(j) Any well with unsuitable water quality that cannot be treated to meet the standards of this chapter, any nonproductive well or any abandoned well shall be sealed in accordance with 58:4A-4.1 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 7:9D-3.

(k) Upon completion of well construction and the installation of permanent pumping equipment and before the well is placed in service, the well suction piping, pumping equipment and discharge piping shall be disinfected in accordance 7:10-11.6(d).

(l) Additional requirements for ground water sources other than wells are as follows:

1. Where an application for a permit under this subchapter is made for the derivation of water from ground sources, such as a radial collector, infiltration gallery or spring, the provisions of (a) through (k) above shall apply.

2. Such application shall sufficiently detail the proposed construction method so that the Department can fully evaluate the sanitary features of the proposed ground water source. A preapplication conference is recommended.

(m) Any well or other ground water source of supply constructed in accordance with a permit issued under this subchapter shall not be placed in operation until the Department approves the well or source, as follows:

1. Following disinfection of the well or ground water source pursuant to (n) above, the well or source shall be pumped to waste until the water is free of chlorine residual.

2. The Department shall inspect the well or source and test the well or source water to determine compliance with the State primary and secondary drinking water regulations at N.J.A.C. 7:10-5 and 7. The well shall stand idle for at least 24 hours prior to such testing and the raw water shall not contain any chlorine residual.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:10-11.7

Amended by R.2000 d.354, effective 8/21/2000.
See: 31 N.J.R. 2717(b), 32 N.J.R. 3106(a).
In (c)3 and (c)4, inserted internal references; in (d), amended N.J.A.C. references; and in (k)2, rewrote the last sentence.
Amended by R.2001 d.313, effective 9/4/2001 (operative October 4, 2001).
See: 32 N.J.R. 2832(a), 33 N.J.R. 3194(a).
Rewrote the section.
Amended by R.2011 d.039, effective 2/7/2011.
See: 42 N.J.R. 17(a), 42 N.J.R. 642(a), 43 N.J.R. 289(a).
In the introductory paragraph of (h)1, substituted "(h)3" for "(k)3"; and in ( l)1, substituted "(k)" for "(n)".