A. The
performance standards are intended to specify the minimum performance
standards and requirements for the construction, alteration,
installation, and repair of wells and pumps, and residential
filtration/water treatment systems.
Supplemental performance standards for wells,
pumps and filtration/water treatment for public water systems, as
described in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 46-13, can be found in 216-RICR-
50-05-1.
B.
Well-drillers, pump installers, water filtration contractors, and
water filtration installers shall perform all work in accordance with
R.I. Gen. Laws Chapters 5-65 and 5-65.2, these Rules and Regulations,
any plans and specifications governing the project(s), and
city/town/municipal regulations.
C. The Board's investigators and/or
staff may inspect well-drillers, pump installers, water filtration
contractors, and water filtration installers work to ensure it
complies with all applicable laws, regulations, city/town/municipal
regulations, plans, and specifications governing the project,
industry standards, manufacturers' specifications. Contractor
responsibility may not extend to items which have been subject to
owner neglect, modifications, or abnormal use.
6.24.2
Defects in
Equipment
Nothing in this Part creates a warranty or
limitations on a warranty for defective equipment.
6.24.3
Applicable Building
Code
A. For the purposes of
this Part, the building code governing the life safety, structural,
mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fuel, gas, and energy requirements
for well drillers, pump installers, and
water-filtration/treatment-system work shall be the building code
that was adopted and in effect at the time the work was
completed.
B. Well
drillers, pump installers, and water-filtration/treatment system
contractors and installers must also comply with 216-RICR- 50-05-1
when working on public water systems as defined in R.I. Gen. Law
§46-13-2.
6.24.4
Filtration
and Treatment of Water
All installations and/or repairs shall meet or
exceed all applicable State building codes, and Water Quality
Association, and National Sanitation Foundation/American National
Standards Institute standards.
6.24.5
Construction
Standards for Public Water Wells
In addition to the applicable standards found in
this Part, standards for public water systems, including wells,
pumps, filtration/treatment and other appurtenances are set forth by
the Rhode Island Department of Health in 216-RICR- 50-05-1.
6.24.6
Construction Standards for Non-Public Water Wells
A. Well Location Wells shall be
located in a manner to reduce the likelihood of contamination from
sources of pollution at or near the ground surface.
1. The following are minimum
isolation distances from the listed potential contamination sources:
|
Distribution Box
|
75 feet
|
|
Septic Tank
|
75 feet
|
|
Sewage Disposal Field, including
cesspools
|
100 feet
|
|
Sewer Line
|
50 feet
|
|
Road
|
25 feet from the edge of the road
surface
|
|
Fuel Storage Tanks
|
As far as possible from wells
|
|
Livestock Pens / animal waste storage
facility
|
No well shall be located within 100
feet
|
|
Active Agricultural Areas
|
Minimum of 20 feet and uphill whenever
possible
|
2. Tiered Separation Distances
between leach field and private wells based on OWTS Design Flow:
|
Design Flow (gpd)
|
Distance from Leach field (ft)
|
|
100
|
|
1000-1999
|
150
|
|
2000-4999
|
200
|
|
5000-9999
|
300
|
3. Source of Contamination
Additional Distance Requirements
|
Agricultural chemical:
|
|
tank or container with 25 gallons or
more or 100 pounds or more dry weight, or equipment filling or
cleaning area without safeguards
|
150 feet
|
|
storage or equipment filling or
cleaning area with safeguards
|
100 feet
|
|
storage or equipment filling or
cleaning area with safeguards and roofed
|
50 feet
|
|
Anhydrous ammonia tank
|
50 feet
|
|
Animal:
|
|
feedlot, unroofed, 300 or more animal
units
|
100 feet
|
|
feedlot, more than 1.0, but less than
300 animal units
|
50 feet
|
|
building or poultry building, including
a horse riding area, more than 1.0 animal unit
|
50 feet
|
|
Rendering plant
|
100 feet
|
|
feeding or watering area within a
pasture, more than 1.0 animal unit
|
50 feet
|
|
area to bury more than one animal
unit
|
100 feet
|
|
building, feedlot, confinement area, or
kennel, 0.1 to 1.0 animal unit
|
20 feet
|
|
Building, building projection, deck,
overhang, permanent structure
|
3 feet
|
|
Cistern or reservoir, buried,
non-pressurized water supply
|
20 feet
|
|
Composting
|
|
Leaf and yard waste
|
200 feet
|
|
Putrescible waste
|
200 feet
|
|
Mixed Solid Waste
|
1000 feet
|
|
Construction or demolition debris
disposal area
|
500 feet
|
|
Cooling water pond, industrial
|
50 feet
|
|
Deicing chemicals, bulk road
|
50 feet
|
|
Drain field (see Absorption
area)
|
|
Electric transmission line
|
10 feet
|
|
Electrical transformer storage area,
oil-filled
|
50 feet
|
|
Elevator boring, not conforming to
rule
|
50 feet
|
|
Elevator boring, conforming to
rule
|
20 feet
|
|
Fertilizer chemigation tank,
safeguarded, from irrigation well only
|
20 feet
|
|
Floor drain, grate, or trough connected
to a buried sewer
|
50 feet
|
|
if buried sewer is air-tested, approved
materials, serving one building, or two or less single-family
residences
|
20 feet
|
|
Frost-proof yard hydrant or discharge
of a frost-proof hydrant draining into the soil, fire hydrant or
flushing hydrant
|
10 feet
|
|
Gas (flammable or volatile) pipe
|
10 feet
|
|
Grave or mausoleum
|
50 feet
|
|
Human Remains
|
100 feet
|
|
Gravel pocket or French drain for clear
water drainage
|
20 feet
|
|
Hazardous substance:
|
|
tank or container, above ground or
underground, 56 gallons or more, or 100 pounds or more dry weight,
without safeguards
|
150 feet
|
|
tank or container, above ground or
underground, 56 gallons or more, or 100 pounds or more dry weight
with safeguards
|
100 feet
|
|
Buried piping:
|
50 feet
|
|
multiple storage tanks or containers
for residential retail sale or use,
no single tank or container exceeding
56 gallons or 100 pounds, but aggregate volume exceeding
|
50 feet
|
|
Horizontal ground source closed loop
heat exchanger buried piping
|
50 feet
|
|
Horizontal ground source closed loop
heat exchanger buried piping and horizontal piping, approved
materials, and heat transfer fluid
|
10 feet
|
|
Household solid waste disposal area,
single residence
|
100 feet
|
|
Interceptor, including a flammable
waste or sediment
|
50 feet
|
|
Petroleum
|
300 feet
|
|
Unused, unsealed well or boring
|
50 feet
|
|
Vertical heat exchanger (vertical)
piping, conforming to rule
|
35 feet
|
|
horizontal piping conforming to
rule
|
10 feet
|
|
Wastewater rapid infiltration basin,
municipal or industrial
|
300 feet
|
|
Wastewater spray irrigation area,
municipal or industrial
|
150 feet
|
|
Wastewater stabilization pond
municipal, 500 or more gallons/acre/day of leakage
|
300 feet
|
|
municipal, less than 500
gallons/acre/day of leakage
|
150 feet
|
|
industrial
|
150 feet
|
|
Wastewater treatment unit tanks,
vessels, and components (Package plant)
|
50 feet
|
|
Water treatment backwash disposal
area
|
50 feet
|
|
Water treatment backwash holding basin,
reclaim basin, or surge tank with a direct sewer connection
|
50 feet
|
|
with a backflow protected sewer
connection
|
50 feet
|
|
Stormwater Infiltration System,
distances pursuant to 250-RICR- 150-10-8
|
3. The well driller shall inform
the property owner of the proper isolation distances from pollution
sources. The property owner shall provide information to the well
driller on the location of existing reserved and permitted areas for
subsurface disposal fields and other pollution sources. If the
property owner is unable to provide such information, the property
owner shall obtain that information from the city/town hall or the
Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) Section of the Department
of Environmental Management.
B. Variances
1. In those circumstances in which
compliance with the requirements for locating a new or replacement
non-public water well would result in undue hardship, property owners
may seek a variance from any one or more of the siting requirements,
in accordance with the following:
a. Except as specified in (c), from
the building code board of appeals authorized in the municipality
with jurisdiction over the property on which the well is
proposed;
b. Except as
specified in (c), in the absence of a local building code board of
appeals, from the state building code board of appeals; and
c. From the Department of
Environmental Management in all cases in which the well is proposed
to be installed as part of an application for the new construction of
or repair of an onsite wastewater treatment system. The appropriate
authority specified above may grant a variance to the extent
necessary to ameliorate the undue hardship and to the extent the
exemption can be granted without impairing the intent and purpose of
this chapter.
C. General Requirements for New
Non-Public/Private Systems
1. Prior
to being placed into service, the local building official shall
verify that all new private water systems or existing private water
systems meet all applicable codes and standards.
2. As specified in the rules and
regulations for Private Drinking Water Systems (216-RICR- 50-05-2),
all required testing shall be performed after all plumbing and
water-using appliances are in place and the system has been properly
disinfected in accordance with § 6.24.17 of this Part. The
sampling point for this sample shall be an interior faucet that
yields untreated (raw) well water. Testing must be conducted prior to
the installation of any drinking water quality treatment systems. All
drinking water quality treatment systems in-place shall be identified
and noted.
3. All water
samples for lead analyses shall be acquired as first draw samples
from the cold-water tap. Bubblers or drinking fountains shall not be
satisfactory sampling points. All treatment systems in-place shall be
identified and noted.
D. Basic Restrictions
1. All water used in the
construction, alteration, repair, hydro fracturing, surging or
abandonment of a well shall be drawn from a potable source.
2. Organic materials
which foster or promote undesired organic growth or have the
potential to degrade water quality shall not be employed in the
construction of a drinking water well. This includes but is not
limited to brans, hulls, grains, starches, and proteins.
3. In no case shall explosives be
detonated inside the well casing or liner pipe without written
permission from the Rhode Island State Fire Marshall. The request
shall include the type of explosive to be used and how they will be
placed. In no case shall an explosive charge be dropped down a well
or used to sever installed well casing or liner pipe.
4. System piping installed for
geothermal wells shall not extend more than five (5) feet into a
structure to a shutoff.
5. No well shall be used for the
injection of surface water.
6. In no case shall a well be
constructed to allow commingling or leakage of groundwater within an
individual well by gravity flow or artesian pressure from different
groundwater aquifers associated with different geological
units.
7. All wells that
yield contaminated or mineralized water, and therefore are not
usable, must be adequately cased and sealed off to prevent
contamination of the overlying or underlying water-bearing
zones.
8. All wells when
unattended during construction must be secured per recognized
industry standards.
E. Drilling - General
1. The well driller shall not cause
undue soil erosion or water pollution and shall not pollute the site
with fuels, lubricants, solvents, or other contaminants used in
construction of the well. Any drilling fluids used shall be disposed
of properly.
2. The well
driller shall use care in the selection and use of drilling fluids,
additives, cements, and other materials to avoid materials and
procedures that may adversely affect the drill site, or any
groundwater encountered. Any chemical or other additives used in
drilling along with rock cuttings shall be cleaned out from the
well.
3. Well drillers
drilling a well for potable water shall not reuse casing or drilling
fluids that may have become contaminated. All drilling equipment that
may have become contaminated during a drilling operation shall be
thoroughly cleaned, decontaminated, and disinfected before
reuse.
4. Disinfection
shall be as per § 6.22.19 of this Part.
5. Wells shall be designed to be of
adequate diameter and depth capable of yielding the quantity of water
required by appendix B of these standards.
F. Pumps and Pumping Equipment
1. Pumps and pumping equipment
shall be installed to make the most efficient use of well.
2. Pumps and pumping equipment
shall be located to permit convenient access for inspection,
maintenance, and repair.
3. In the event the base plate of a
pump is placed directly over the well, the base plate shall be a type
designed to form a water tight seal with the well casing or pump
foundation.
4. The well
shall be properly vented to allow for pressure changes within the
well. It shall also be fitted with a pitless adaptor. All well covers
must have sanitary seals.
5. Potable water must be used for
priming all pumps.
6. The
electrical wiring used in connection with the pump shall conform to
the current specifications of the Rhode State Electrical Code (SBC- 5).
7. The pump installer
shall disinfect a well subsequent to installation of a pump to the
standards.
6.24.7
Standards for Wells
in Unconsolidated Materials
A. Any well, constructed to obtain
water from an unconsolidated rock formation shall be equipped with a
screen, for the purpose of preventing the entrance of formation
material into the well after the well has been developed and
completed.
B. The well
screen shall:
1. Be of a standard
design and manufacture, for the specific purpose of well
construction;
2. Be made
of material adequate to withstand normal physical and chemical
forces, applied to it during and after installation;
3. Have openings free of rough
edges, irregularities, or other defects that may contribute to
corrosion or clogging; and
4. Be provided with such fittings
as are necessary to seal the top of the screen to the casing and to
close the bottom, and in no case shall fittings be made of
lead.
C. Any
well, constructed in very coarse gravel largely free of fines, shall
not, however, be required to have a screen; or, if a screen is used,
the bottom may be left open.
D. Jetted or washed wells shall not
be terminated in unconsolidated materials unless an adequate quantity
of water free from fine soil particles can be withdrawn.
E. To allow for grouting,
unconsolidated wells shall have an upper drill hole 3" or 4" greater
in diameter than the nominal diameter of the permanent well casing,
depending on the type of grout.
F. In all cases, cases a minimum of
18 feet of casing and casing seal will be required.
6.24.8
Standards
for Artesian Wells
A. To
allow for grouting, unconsolidated wells shall have an upper drill
hole 3" or 4" greater in diameter than the nominal diameter of the
permanent well casing, depending on the type of grout
B. Watertight unperforated casing
shall extend and be sealed at least 5' into the confining formation
immediately overlying the artesian water-bearing zone.
C. In all cases a minimum of 18
feet of casing and casing seal will be required.
D. If a well flows at the land
surface, the well shall be equipped with a watertight mechanical cap,
threaded or welded, and a control valve, so that all flow of water
from the well can be completely stopped.
E. All flowing artesian wells shall
be tested for artesian shut-in pressure in (psi) and rate of flow in
ft/sec., or gal/min. under free discharge conditions. This data shall
be reported on the well report.
6.24.9
Standards for Drilled
Rock WellsA. To allow for
grouting, drilled rock wells shall have an upper drill hole 3" or 4"
greater in diameter than the nominal diameter of the permanent well
casing, depending on the type of grout.
B. The bottom of the casing shall
be set securely into the rock in a manner which is adequate to
prevent fluids, contaminations, or rock material from the ground
surface or from any zone from entering the well.
C. All wells drilled into bedrock
shall be completed with water tight casing and casing seal to a
minimum depth of 18 feet below the land surface and no less than 5
feet into the bedrock.
D.
A drive shoe may be used to assist in sealing the casing into
bedrock.
E. When plastic
casing is used, the seal shall be created by the use of a
Jaswell-type seal tip, shale packer or equal.
F. When a well is re-cased for the
purpose of shutting off undesirable water or sand, a Jaswell-type
seal tip shall be used, and the annular space be grouted with an
acceptable material.
G. A
tapered hole to receive the outer diameter of the plain end casing is
acceptable.
H. When
bedrock is encountered within 10 feet, air may be used to lift the
cuttings from the bore hole. However, when the depth to bedrock is
greater the cuttings must be removed by slurries mudding method which
will then insure the annular space to be free from voids to allow for
proper grouting.
6.24.10
Construction of
Shallow Wells in Unconsolidated Materials by Excavation (Dug
Wells)
A. Dug wells are
prohibited for new private and public drinking water systems but are
permissible for other uses.
1. For
situations where no other alternatives exist and such prohibition
would be the sole factor in rendering the subject property
non-buildable, application may be made to the Board for a variance to
allow a dug well to be utilized as a private drinking water
source.
B. The
following standards pertain to repairs to existing dug wells that can
be repaired to the extent required to maintain source potability.
1. Upper joints in well casings
shall be sealed to exclude surface and near surface water from
entering the well.
2. The
bottom of the casing shall be set on a bed of clean crushed stone or
naturally occurring coarse gravel, if present.
3. Crushed stone shall be placed
around the exterior of the casing at the bottom section(s) to promote
infiltration of water and provide additional storage, if appropriate
for the soil conditions at the site.
4. Backfill shall be of an
appropriate material and placed in a manner which will deter
intrusion of soil into the well and reduce the likelihood of surface
waters percolating directly into the well through the
backfill.
5. Organic
material shall not be used in the backfill including but not limited
to: loam, peat, building paper, hay, or soil with organic
matter.
6. Pea stone or
other non-polluting barriers shall be used over the crushed stone to
prevent fine soils from entering the crushed stone.
7. Backfill shall be compacted to
reduce settlement.
8. The
top of the backfill shall be covered with at least 2 feet of
impervious material such as clay.
9. The ground surface at the well
should be raised and graded to drain away from the well taking into
consideration future settlement of the backfill.
10. The dug well shall be provided
with a watertight cover constructed of a single integral material so
as to prevent sources of contaminants from entering the
well.
6.24.11
Casing
A. The casing material used on all
water wells shall be of such strength and composition as to prevent
the movement of water or contaminants into or out of the well in the
interval so cased; and shall not distort, deform, collapse, crack, or
disintegrate under normal conditions for the life of the well, or
contaminate the water in the well.
B. The casing shall be adequate to
provide for the installation, removal, and maintenance as appropriate
of caps, pitless adaptors, screens, pumps, pipes, wires, or other
devices which may be used throughout the normal life of the
well.
C. Casing shall
prevent intrusion of contaminants from the ground surface or
unconsolidated soil layers into the well.
D. Steel well casing shall have a
minimum wall thickness of 0.237 inches for wells drilled in bedrock
and deep wells in unconsolidated materials.
E. Well casings shall have an
airtight cover with a sanitary seal, and a screened vent to prevent
the entrance of foreign matter into the well.
F. Well casing shall extend above
the ground surface a minimum of 18 inches. In areas prone to
flooding, additional casing heights must be installed to prevent
entrance of surface water. Wells that serve public water system must
adhere to the requirements of 216-RICR- 50-05-1.
G. The above requirements do not
preclude the use of additional protection measures.
6.24.12
Grouting
annular space
A. Public
Wells: Well grouting for all public drinking water wells shall be in
accordance with 216-RICR- 50-05-1.
B. Private Wells: Well grouting for
all private drinking water wells may be accomplished as follows:
1. In cases where no more stringent
standards are required, and there is no evidence of existing or
potential contamination sources or excessively corrosive condition
and the natural materials contain a significant proportion of
naturally impervious materials mixed with drilling mud, the driller
may fill the annular space with the natural materials excavated
during the drilling of the well to meet the following requirements:
a. The annular space shall be
fitted as completely as possible from the bottom or the casing to the
land surface without any depressions, voids, holes or
channels;
b. The driller
shall employ whatever techniques are effective for the existing
conditions to achieve maximum density, strength and impermeability of
the fill material; and
c.
The surface of the fill material shall be sloped away from the
casing.
2. In
cases where potentially contaminating or corrosive fluids are
encountered, or impermeable natural materials cannot be adequately
placed and compacted or where geologic conditions or the isolation
distance may not be adequate, the annular space shall be grouted for
the full length of the casing, or the portion thereof below the frost
line or pitless adaptor, so that no fluids may move in the zone
needing to be grouted.
3.
In cases where frost heaving is likely, the annular space from the
frost line to the ground surface may be filled with compacted
granular fill to reduce the potential for frost heaving of the
casing. The casing shall be securely supported by the surrounding
fill material to a degree that it cannot be moved by manual
means.
4. In no case will
a driller leave a completed well with water flowing or standing in
the annular space.
6.24.13
Maintenance, Repair,
and Deepening of WellsA.
Valves and casing on all artesian wells shall be maintained in a
condition so that the flow of water can be completely stopped when
the water is not being put to beneficial use. All casing, liner pipe,
and casing seals shall be maintained in a condition that will prevent
surface or subsurface leakage of groundwater. Valves shall be closed
when water is not being put to beneficial use. During period of
subfreezing temperatures, care shall be taken to prevent damage due
to freezing. The pressure gauge and petcock valve shall be maintained
so that the artesian pressure can be accurately determined at any
time.
B. If in repair of
a drilled well the old casing is withdrawn, the well shall be
re-cased and resealed.
C.
The access port or airline on all wells shall be maintained in a
condition that will prevent contamination of the water body. Access
ports and air lines shall be maintained so that the position of the
water table can be determined at any time.
D. In no case shall a dug well be
deepened, unless the deepening is for the purpose of developing a
bedrock or gravel packed drilled well. This is allowed only if the
siting requirements listed in § 6.22.6 of this Part preclude the
development of a drilled well elsewhere on the property.
6.24.14
Temporary
Removal from Service
Any well to be temporarily removed from service,
either due to a recess in construction or before commencing service,
shall be capped with a watertight seal, watertight welded steel cap,
or threaded cap. In the event that temporary removal from service is
to be more than 90 days or more, the temporary steel cap must be
welded to the well casing with a minimum of four (4) separate welds,
evenly spaced, each at least 1/2 of an inch in length. Steel or
cast-iron caps shall be at least 3/16 of an inch in thickness.
6.24.15
Decommissioning of Wells:
A.
Abandoned wells, test wells and bores must be
decommissioned.
B.
Decommissioning of all potable water wells and potable test wells and
bores associated with a private well shall be in accordance with
216-RICR- 50-05-1 and the following:
1. The well shall be disinfected
prior to decommissioning in accordance with§ 6.22.18 of this
Part.
2. All casing and
screen materials that have salvage value may be removed by the
contractor.
3. Upon
completion of abandonment of the well, the top of the casing or grout
material shall be terminated at least four (4) feet below the ground
surface.
C.
Decommissioning of ground water monitoring wells, piezometers, and
others subsurface borings shall be done in compliance with 250-RICR-
150-05-03.
D.
Decommissioning of a geothermal well shall be performed only by a
licensed well driller.
6.24.16
Record of
Wells
Within ten (10) days after completion of a new,
reconstructed, replacement or decommissioned well, whether attached
to an existing building or planned building, the licensed well
contractor shall provide the owner, the Building Official and the
Department of Health, a Well Completion Report on a form obtained
from the Department of Health, completed in its entirety in
accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws §
46-13.2-5.
6.24.17
Electrical/Plumbing
Any licensed person or entity under these
regulations may perform electrical and/or plumbing work as defined in
the definitions of Rhode Island General Law
5-65.2-2 in
relation to the work performed pursuant to these regulations and R.I.
General Law. Nothing herein shall prohibit any Rhode Island licensed
electrician or plumber from performing similar work. All electrical
or plumbing work performed shall meet the State of Rhode Island;
electrical code (SBC- 5) and plumbing code (SBC- 3).
6.24.18
Disinfecting
Disinfecting shall be accomplished in accordance
with the Rhode Island Department of Health well disinfection
guidelines.
6.24.19
Drilling
Depths
A. For the use of
individual household, bedrock well of 6 inches in diameter shall be
satisfactory when it meets the following minimum criteria:
1. With a yield of 5 gpm, a minimum
depth of 100' or less is required.
2. With a yield of 3 1/2 gpm, a
minimum depth of 150' is required.
3. With a yield of 2 gpm, a minimum
depth of 200' is required.
4. With a yield of 1 gpm, a minimum
depth of 300' is required.
5. With a yield of 1/2 gpm, a
minimum depth of 450' is required.
B. This is assumed that the static
water level is between 25 and 35 feet and the pump has been
appropriately set to insure maximum productivity. The above is
intended as a construction standard and does not imply or guarantee
actual yield.
C. Special
caution should be exercised in coastal areas because of potential
saltwater intrusion.
