Well Ordinance Revision

1
Well Ordinance Revision
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD)
WELL ORDINANCE REVISION
Richard Sanchez Chief, Environmental Health
Division Dennis Green Chief, Hazardous Materials
Division Dana Booth Supervising Environmental
Specialist Susan Williams Environmental
Specialist III
2
History
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD) Well Ordinance
Revision

• HISTORY
• First Adopted by Sacramento County April 1975
• Revised November 1992 (Water Code changes)
• Current Revision begun in 1998 (Water Code
  changes plus)
• Held Four Workshops
• Provided Mass Mailings

3
Water Code Changes
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD) Well Ordinance
Revision

• WATER CODE CHANGES
• Inclusion of Standards for Geothermal Heat
  Exchange Wells
• The California Department of Water Resources
  (DWR), in conjunction with both private and
  public sector participants, has drafted Standards
• DWR expects to publish a Supplement to Bulletin
  74-90 next year including those Standards
• We propose to incorporate those Standards into
  our Well Ordinance

4
Additional Proposed Changes
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD) Well Ordinance
Revision

• ADDITIONAL PROPOSED CHANGES
• Mechanical Pumping Requires that subaqueous
  grout seals be placed via mechanical pumping
• Tremie Seal Placement Requires that the
  discharge end of any tremie device be
  continuously submerged in the sealing material
• Consultation Zone Formalizes an existing
  mechanism for special review of permit
  applications near sites of known soil and/or
  groundwater contamination
• For sites under its direction, the State has
  provided

5
Sample Plume Map
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD) Well Ordinance
6
Groundwater Plume Site Table
7
Additional Proposed Changes (Continued)
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD) Well Ordinance
Revision

• ADDITIONAL PROPOSED CHANGES
• (continued)
• McClellan AFB Prohibition Area Moves the
  prohibition for new well construction in/around
  McClellan from Chapter 6.29 into Chapter 6.28
• Reporting Requirement Requires that soil and/or
  groundwater contamination discovered during the
  construction of a boring/well be reported within
  two working days of verification

8
Summary
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD) Well Ordinance
Revision

• Administrative Penalties Adds administrative
  fine/penalty language to allow more
  efficient/effective enforcement of the Well
  Standards
• Permit Extensions Adds a provision allowing a
  one-year extension of an expired permit at a cost
  of 20 of the original fee
• Inspection Notification Reduces the notification
  requirement to one business day prior to the
  requested inspection time
• Permit Simplification Allows multiple wells
  (with similar construction specifications) to be
  permitted on a single application form with a
  single fee if requested by the project
  proponent and subject to approval by EMD
• Best Available Technology Adds a provision to
  allow the use of new materials, and techniques,
  that meet or exceed the Standards

9
Q A
SACRAMENTO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EMD) Well Ordinance
Revision
Q and A