East Palo Alto Municipal Code Art. IV Standards for Wells

Water wells shall be constructed, repaired, destroyed and converted in accordance with the standards set by this chapter and by state law, including those contained in the most recent Water Resources Bulletin issued by the California Department of Water Resources.

(Prior code § 6-5.401)

All wells proposed to be constructed for or converted to domestic water use shall conform with the standards prescribed by this chapter and by state law except as the city health officer shall otherwise authorize in writing.

(Prior code § 6-5.402)

All existing domestic water wells shall conform with the standards prescribed by this chapter and by state law for construction, protection from flooding and exclusion of contamination; provided that the city health officer may authorize alternative standards for individual cases where he/she finds it impractical to cause an existing well to meet the standards prescribed by this chapter and by state law and where such alternative standards substantially accomplish the purpose of those prescribed by this chapter and state law.

(Prior code § 6-5.403)

All domestic water wells shall be provided with a water tight reinforced concrete slab of a minimum thickness of six inches and shall extend horizontally at least two feet from the well casing in all directions. The concrete slab shall adequately slope so as to drain water away from the well casing. The top surface of the slab at its outer edge shall be at least four inches above the surrounding ground level; provided that the city health officer may either authorize alternative specifications for such slab or waive the requirement therefor entirely and permit an alternative means of protecting the well where he/she finds such alternative specifications or alternative means to afford protection of the well equivalent to that provided under this section.

(Prior code § 6-5.404)

All domestic water wells shall have a pipe or other effective means of introducing chlorine or other disinfecting agents directly thereinto.

(Prior code § 6-5.405)

All domestic water wells shall be so designed and constructed as to exclude contamination. Sanitation pipes, if provided, shall extend to a height equal to the pump pedestal of at least eight inches above the finished grade, shall be kept sealed and shall be provided with a threaded or equivalently secure cap. Equivalent protection for excluding contamination from the well shall be provided for subsurface pump discharge installations. If an air relief vent is used, it shall terminate downward and be screened and protected against the possibility of contaminating material entering the vent. Entry pipes into gravel packed sections of wells shall be tightly capped.

(Prior code § 6-5.406)

Wells designed to protect pipelines, tanks, cables, powerlines and other facilities from corrosion shall be constructed in accordance with Bulletin 74-1 of the California State Department of Water Resources on such subject.

(Prior code § 6-5.407)