New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Chapter I - State Sanitary Code
Part 5 - Drinking Water Supplies
Subpart 5-2 - Water Well Construction
Section 5-2.1 - Statement

The improper construction, operation, maintenance or abandonment of water wells and the improper installation of water well pumps and pumping equipment represent a potential hazard to public health and safety. More than two million people in New York State depend upon private or individual water well supplies as their only sources of drinking water because public water supply systems are not available to serve them. To assure such consumers that the ground waters available to them will be reasonably and sanitary for drinking, culinary or food processing purposes, the following regulations for water well construction have been promulgated.