| Wellhead Protection
The Wellhead Protection Program helps protect public groundwater supplies
from contamination and prevents the need
for costly water treatment. The program is based upon the concept that
developing and applying land use controls and other preventative measures
can protect groundwater.
Important aspects of wellhead and groundwater
protection include:
-
Don't spill, store or dispose of animal wastes, fuels, pesticides,
fertilizers, paints and other harmful products within a wellhead
protection area or within the wellhead protection area of adjacent
properties
-
Properly seal a well with a 50-foot-deep sanitary seal around the
well casing to prevent contaminants from directly entering the groundwater
basin
-
If you're a private well user, testing your well water at least once
each year for coliform bacteria and at least once every three years
for the Routine Domestic Water Analysis. For more information, call
a certified private lab.
-
Develop wells only outside areas of potential contamination. A well
should not be located near corrals, pastures, feedlots, drainage ways
of underground fuel storage tanks
Establish a wellhead protection area
Although wellhead protection is a routine requirement for large well users
such as municipalities, private well users are encouraged to establish
their own wellhead protection areas around their wells. The area should
be a circle around the well that has a minimum radius of 100 feet from
the wellhead.
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