§ 13701

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Improperly constructed and abandoned water wells, cathodic protection wells, groundwater monitoring wells, and geothermal heat exchange wells can allow contaminated water on the surface to flow down the well casing, thereby contaminating the usable groundwater.

(b) Improperly constructed and abandoned water wells, cathodic protection wells, groundwater monitoring wells, and geothermal heat exchange wells can allow unusable or low quality groundwater from one groundwater level to flow along the well casing to usable groundwater levels, thereby contaminating the usable groundwater.

(c) Contamination of groundwater poses serious public health and economic problems for many areas of the state.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 581, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.)