California City Municipal Code Art. 2 Permits/When Drilling Permitted

Private and/or commercial property owners shall not be allowed to drill water wells unless a permit is first obtained pursuant to this chapter and dedicated to the city once it meets its standard set forth in this chapter.

No person shall be allowed to drill a well for the purpose of selling water. Any water well or geothermal heat exchange well drilled within the City after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter that does not meet the requirements of this chapter, shall be destroyed by the owner of the property on which the well is located at the cost of the owner. Cross connection or interconnection of private water wells to the city municipal water system is strictly prohibited and shall not be authorized.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )

(a) When Required. Unless exempted by federal or state law, no person shall dig, bore, drill, deepen, modify, repair or destroy a water well, geothermal heat exchange well, cathodic protection well, observation well, monitoring well, or any other excavation that may intersect groundwater without first applying for and receiving a permit from the City.

(b) Penalty for Failure to Obtain Permit. Any person who commences any work for which a permit is required by this chapter without having first obtained such permit shall be required, if subsequently granted a permit for this work, to pay double the standard permit fee.

(c) Emergency Work. The above provisions in subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to emergency work required on short notice to maintain drinking water or agricultural supply systems. In such cases, the person responsible for the emergency work shall:

(1) Urgency. Satisfy the Director that such work was urgently necessary.

(2) Conformance with standards. Demonstrate that all work performed was in conformance with the technical standards set forth in Article 3 of this chapter.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )

Applications for permits shall be made to the Director on forms approved by the Director and shall contain all such information the Director requires to accomplish the purposes of this chapter. The application shall be accompanied by a filing fee. If the Director finds the application contains all necessary information, he or she shall issue to the applicant a comprehensive permit containing such conditions as are necessary to fulfill the purposes of this chapter.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )

Filing fees and permit fees shall be set by the city council from time to time by resolution.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )

(a) Limitations. When the Director approves a permit pursuant to this chapter, in addition to the conditions expressly authorized herein, the Director may impose such conditions of approval as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(b) Testing. Approval of any permit issued hereunder, shall be conditioned upon compliance with whatever quantity and quality testing methods as the Director finds necessary.

(c) Performance bond. The director may require a performance bond as a condition to the permit.

(d) Persons permitted to work on wells. All construction, reconstruction, or destruction work on wells shall be performed by a person who possesses an active C-57 contractor's license in accordance with the provisions of the California Business and Professions Code, Section 7000 et seq. and Water Code Section 13750.5.

(e) Proper disposal of drilling fluids. The permit shall contain a clause requiring the safe and appropriate handling and disposal of drilling fluids and other drilling materials used in connection with the permitted work.

(f) Abandoned wells. As a condition of a construction or reconstruction permit, any abandoned wells on the property shall be destroyed in accordance with standards provided in this chapter.

(g) Posting of permit. It shall be the responsibility of the permittee to maintain a copy of this permit on the drilling site during all stages of construction or destruction.

(h) Dedication to city. Any well permitted hereunder pursuant to a subdivision of property shall be dedicated to the city upon satisfaction of the standard set forth herein.

(i) Cross connection/Interconnection Prohibited. Any well permitted hereunder may not be connected or interconnected to the city municipal water system is.

(j) Applicant shall remain in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and county laws and regulations.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )

The Director shall deny an application for a permit if, in his or her sole judgment, issuance of a permit is not in the public interest.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )

The permittee shall complete the work authorized by the permit within the time and before the date set out in the permit. If there have been exceptional circumstances, the Director may grant the applicant an extension. Upon the expiration of the permit, no further work shall be done unless and until the applicant has received an extension or a new permit.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )

(a) Circumstances for Such Action. The Director may suspend or revoke any permit issued pursuant to this chapter, whenever he or she finds that the permittee has violated any of the provisions of this chapter or any condition of approval, or has misrepresented any material fact in the application for the permit, or any supporting documents for the permit. Prior to ordering any such suspension or revocation, the Director shall give the permittee an opportunity for a hearing thereon, after reasonable notice. The hearing shall be before the city council or its designated representative. An appeal may be made as set forth below.

(b) Consequences. No person whose permit has been suspended or revoked shall continue to perform the work for which the permit was granted until, in the case of suspension, such permit has been reinstated by the Director.

(c) Ordered additional work. Upon suspending or revoking any permit, the Director may order the permittee to perform any work reasonably necessary to protect the underground waters from pollution or contamination, if any work already done by the permittee has left a well in such condition as to constitute a hazard to the quality of the underground waters. No permittee or person who has held any permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall fail to comply with any such order.

( Ord. No. 15-729, § 1, 4-7-2015 )