Wellhead Protection

Introduction

Clean drinking water is vital to residents, businesses and industries throughout Michigan. Approximately one half of Michigan's residents depend on groundwater for drinking water purposes. When water wells are improperly constructed or maintained, or if the land surrounding the well is not properly managed, pathogens, pesticides, fertilizers, oil products or other contaminants may impact the groundwater that serves your home or business.

Businesses within the turfgrass industry use different types of wells depending on the amount of water needed and the characteristics of the local geology. To properly protect all wells on the property, it is important to identify the type of well you are using according to guidelines created by the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act, Act 399, P.A. 1976, as amended. To assist with the identification, a description of each well type is listed below including a reference to its location in Act 399. Also included in this module is information on the well construction and pump installation requirements that are specified in Part 127 of the Groundwater Quality Control Act 368.

Types of Water Supplies

Most wells that supply water to turfgrass-related businesses will be considered a public water supply, which is defined as any water supply serving drinking water to other than a single-family residence. Act 399, Rule 107

Public water supplies are classified as Type I, II, or III.

Type I or Community Water Supply

Provides year-round water service to 25 or more residents, or 15 or more living units. A permit for construction is required from the District Engineer at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's. Examples of TypeI, Community Water Supplies are: cities, villages, townships, condominiums, apartment complexes, mobile home parks. Rule 103 and Rule 502

Type II or Non-Community Water Supply

"Non-community supply" means a public water supply which is not a community supply, but which has at least 15 service connections (a direct connection from a water line to a facility for providing water for drinking or household purposes) or which serves 25 or more persons on an average daily basis for at least 60 days of the year. A permit for construction is required from the local health department. Examples of Type II, Non-community water supplies include schools, restaurants, offices, churches and golf courses. Rule 106, Rule 502

If your well is Type II, identify whether it is IIa or IIb according to the amount of water produced.

Type II wells are further classified as either transient or non-transient depending on whether or not the same people are served regularly by the well.

Type III Water Supply

All public water supplies that are not Type I or Type II. The local health department requires a permit for these wells under the sanitary code. Examples include small businesses (lawn care companies with less than 25 employees that are not served by municipal water systems), gas stations and Grade A dairies. Rule 502

Irrigation Wells

These wells have no potable (drinkable) water connections: Must be properly constructed in accordance with Part 127 of Act 368. Most local health departments require a permit prior to construction. As with all other wells, irrigation wells should be properly maintained and permanently plugged when no longer in use, to protect groundwater.

Installing New Wells

Your first contact before beginning plans for a new Type I community well, should be the district staff from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) (see the Department of Environmental Quality webiste, “Drinking Water”, “Community Water Supply”, “District Office Map & Contact Information” for DEQ district contacts). District staff will discuss the requirements for a Type I community water supply, inspect and approve all proposed test well locations so that you will meet the set back and monitoring requirements and will issue the production well permit(s).

If you are installing a Type II, non-community well, your first contact should be your local health department (see the Department of Environmental Quality webiste, “Drinking Water”, “Non-community Water Supply”, “Local Health Department Staff List” for local health department contacts). The local health department is responsible for issuance of permits for construction of new Type II wells, periodic inspections of the water well and distribution system, and management of required water sampling to monitor water quality. Well owners are required to conduct sampling at prescribed frequencies. Sampling frequency will vary depending upon a number of items examined during the initial site inspection. If sampling identifies a problem, the owner must advise the public and correct the problem.

If you are installing a Type III well, a permit is required from the local health department. Type III wells have to be properly constructed but a specific sampling or inspection program is the prerogative of the local health department. A listing of local health departments can be found at the website listed above.

A brief summary of selected public water supply rules provided by the DEQ is listed below. Refer to the State of Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act 399 and Part 127 of the Groundwater Quality Control Act 368 for the complete requirements. All deviations from the requirements must be approved by the DEQ or the local health department in writing and must be based on information showing that public health will not be adversely affected or threatened.

Isolation Distances

Well Types l and lla

These wells cannot be located within 2,000 feet of known major sources of contamination such as: a sanitary landfill, lagoons, chemical or waste chemicalstorage or disposal areas (fuels, oils, degreasers, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) unless a written deviation is issued. The standard isolation area of 200 feet must be owned or controlled by Type I water supplies and should not contain sewer lines or septic systems. Type II systems are not required to own or control the 200-foot isolation area.

Well Types llb and lll

The 800-foot isolation area from major contamination sources should not contain lagoons, landfills, groundwater contamination sites or chemical storage. The standard isolation area of 75 feet should not contain sewer lines or septic systems. These distances may not be decreased unless the local health department has approved a written deviation.

The following table indicates specific isolation requirement minimums from various land uses and sources of contamination as required by the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act, Act 399, R 325. The DEQ or local health departments have authority to issue deviations from the required distances on a case by case basis and will consider items such as the well capacity, the hydrogeologic conditions, and the type, volume and containment of the contaminant within the isolation area before making a decision.

Review the following isolation distances and consider whether or not your well(s) meet the minimum requirements and if they are up or down slope from the sources of contamination regardless of the isolation distance.

Required Minimum Isolation Distances

Land Use or Source of Contamination		Minimum Isolation Distance (feet)
		Types IIb, III	Types I, IIa
** These sources of contamination are not specifically named in the rules and the stated isolation distances are recommendations. State or local health department officers may modify this recommended isolation distance, either increasing or decreasing it, on a case-by-case basis.
Abandoned well or boring (has not been sealed)		75	75
Agricultural chemical/fertilizer storage or preparation area		800	2,000
Animal/poultry yard		75	200
Brine wells/injection wells		**800	**2,000
Building or projection		3	3
Cemetery or graves		75	200
Cesspool		75	200
Chemical storage		800	2,000
Known Contaminant plumes (Part 201 of Act 451sites, LUST sites, etc.)		**800	**2,000
Drainfield		75	200
Drywell		75	200
Footing drains		10	10
Fuel/chemical storage tanks (above or below ground and associated piping)		800	2,000
Fuel depot/tank farm		800	2,000
Grease trap		75	200
Kennels		75	200
Landfill or dump site (active or inactive)		800	2,000
Liquid petroleum (LP) tanks		(see comments following this table)
Liquid waste draining into the soil		75	200
Metering station for pipelines		300	800
Municipal wastewater effluent or sludge disposal area		800	2,000
Oil or gas wells		300	300
Other wastewater handling or disposal unit		75	200
Petroleum product processing or bulk storage		800	2,000
Pipelines - gas, oil, etc.		300	300
Pipelines - natural gas		(see comments following this table)
Privy or outhouse		75	200
Property lines (no requirements)		10 recommended	10 recommended
Seepage pit		75	200
Septic tank		75	200
Septage waste (land application area)		800	2,000
Sewage holding tank		75	200
Sewage lagoon serving a single family dwelling		75	200
Sewage lagoon effluent land application area		800	2,000
Sewage or liquid waste draining into soil		75	200
Sewage pump chamber transfer station, or lift station		75	200
Sewers - gravity, pressure, sanitary or storm		75	200
Sewer line isolation from water line (plumbing code requirement)		10	10
Sump pit - receiving other than household waste (roof drain, etc.)		10	10
Sump pit - receiving household waste (laundry, softener backwash, etc.)		75	200
Surface water (lakes, streams, ditches)		75	200
Unfilled space below surface - other than approved basement, basement offset, or crawl space beneath as single family dwelling		10	10
Well to well isolation (no requirement)		10 recommended	10 recommended

Additional Specifications

Natural gas and liquid petroleum (LP)

Natural gas and LP are not considered sources of groundwater contamination because of the volatile nature of the fuels. If leaks occur, the gases escape into the atmosphere. Leaked gases do not migrate downward into the soil. Wells should be sufficiently isolated from natural gas lines or LP tanks to minimize the potential for damage to the lines or tanks during well construction or repair, trenching of water lines, etc., and to allow accessibility to the well.

Well Casing termination

For Type I and IIa, the well casing must be a minimum of 12 inches above the ground surface. For Type IIb and III, the well casing must also be12 inches above grade or 12 inches above the floor of approved basement offset (Rule 817).

Pumping equipment

Type I and IIa must have an above-grade structure housing pump control equipment, a flow meter, pump to waste piping and isolation valves, and associated appurtenances (chemical injection tap, energized outlet and sampling taps). For Type IIb and III, the pumping equipment may be in an approved basement offset. Pits of any design are no longer approved (Ground Water Quality Control Act, Part 127).

Grouting

When installing a new well, a steel or plastic pipe called the casing is used to prevent the borehole from collapsing during drilling. The space between the casing and the sides of the hole creates a direct opening for surface water and potential pollutants to reach the water table. To seal off that opening, the space is filled with grout. Grout consists of neat cement (cement & water mixture without sand), bentonite clay or a combination of the two. Well grouting must be within permit specifications and meet the Michigan Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Code. Details of this code are found in Part 127 of the Groundwater Quality Control Act 368 which provides the specific requirements well drillers must follow when installing your well.

Location

Whether a well taps water just below the ground or hundreds of feet deep, its location greatly influences its susceptibility to contamination. A proper location for a well depends on factors such as surface water drainage patterns, groundwater flow direction and the location of sources of potential contamination. A well downhill from a pesticide mix/load area, a leaking tank or a septic system runs a greater risk of contamination than a well on the uphill side of these potential pollution sources.

Once you've determined the surface water drainage patterns on your property, you can examine where chemicals are stored or handled to decide if they should be moved to protect your well(s). Relocating hazardous materials down gradient from your well may be a simple solution to protect your drinking water supply.

The slope of the ground surface does not always indicate the direction a contaminant might flow once it gets into the groundwater. In most cases, groundwater in unconfined, shallow aquifers flows in the same direction as theslope of the land, generally towards a surface water body. In areas where the aquifer is deep or confined, its flow direction may be different from that of the land surface. Determining groundwater flow direction on your property may require the collection of surveyed water level measurements from wells on and around your property.

Once the groundwater flow direction is determined for your property, you have a valuable piece of information to help guide your decisions on where to locate new wells or hazardous materials to minimize the potential for impacts to the groundwater in the event of an accident.

Maintaining Existing Wells

Well inspection and maintenance

Like all mechanical equipment, your well requires periodic upkeep. Good maintenance involves keeping the well area clean and accessible, storing or handling potential contaminants down gradient or as far away from the well as possible, testing the water according to the schedule established by the county health department or DEQ district staff and periodically inspecting the condition of the well and pump. A qualified well driller or pump installer can inspect the well integrity and pump components. You can also routinely inspect the wellhead for any damage. Be sure your well has a physical barrier such as bumper posts to prevent collision from trucks, lawnmowers and other equipment. Also check that the well cap is in place, tightly secured and locked if possible. Wells must have a tight fitting well cap with a screened vent incorporated into it so that air can enter the well.

Consider the location of your well and how many years ago it was installed. If it was installed according to regulations at the time of construction, you should compare how your well conforms to current standards. You may be able to move activities such as pesticide mixing, tank rinsing, or fuel storage farther away from your well or down gradient. You may also want to improve existing wells by getting rid of well pits, installing caps, or extending casings.

Backflow prevention

Backpressure or back-siphoning backflow from pesticide mixing tanks can cause chemicals to flow back into the well through the hose. Use an anti-backflow device when filling pesticide sprayer tanks to prevent the chemical mixture from flowing back into the well and contaminating groundwater. Anti-backflow devices for hoses are available from irrigation or spray equipment suppliers. It is always a good practice to keep the hose out of the tank when filling the pesticide sprayer even if you have an anti-backflow device.

You should also consider installing anti-backflow devices on all faucets with hose connections or maintaining air gaps between hoses or faucets and the water level. Depending on your type of operation, water flowing back through the plumbing may draw water from sinks, washing machines, laundry tubs, outside hydrants, or swimming pools into your water supply and cause contamination. For more information on avoiding chemical backflow, see the Contacts and References Section near the end of this module.

Water testing requirements

The quality and safety of a water supply should be regularly monitored through water testing. Although not feasible to test for every conceivable contaminant, some basic tests can indicate whether or not other problems exist. Consult your local health department to determine an appropriate monitoring routine.

Operator Certification

All community and non-transient, non-community water supply systems must be operated by an individual certified by the DEQ in the appropriate type of water supply. A transient non-community water supply that treats water must also utilize a certified operator.

Type I, community water supplies

Sampling requirements for Community and Non-community Water Supplies are established in Act 399, and modified by DEQ District Staff or local health departments as allowed by Act 399.

Sampling requirements are determined on a case-by-case basis by DEQ, district staff. Water samples are tested for a number of potential contaminants including, but not limited to, nitrate, coliform, organic and inorganic compounds, lead and copper, and disinfection by-products. The specific sampling routine for each water supply system is determined by DEQ, district staff.

Type II, transient non-community public water supplies

Testing of nitrate levels is required annually or more frequently if directed by the local health department. Nitrate can get into water if a well is improperly constructed or located where it is susceptible to contamination sources such as sewage disposal systems, fertilized turfgrass, industrial wastes or even nitrates that are naturally occurring in the soil. Large amounts of nitrate in drinking water can cause a blood disorder primarily affecting infants. Also, since nitrate contamination can be related to human, animal, or industrial waste practices, excessive nitrate levels may indicate that other harmful contaminants are present.

Coliform is a type of bacteria that is used as an indicator of the sanitary quality of drinking water. The presence of coliform in water indicates there is potential for harmful disease-causing organisms to enter the water supply from various sources. Your local health department or the DEQ determines how often you are required to test for coliform.

Type II, non-transient non-community public water supplies

In 1986, amendments to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act created significant new monitoring requirements for facilities using their own wells and serving the same 25 or more persons a day. In addition to nitrates and coliform, testing is required for lead, copper, cyanide, metals, synthetic organic compounds, volatile organic compounds and other parameters. For the turfgrass industry, this would include only businesses with 25 or more employees (resorts, large companies).

Type III public water supplies

There are no requirements for ongoing testing. Annual coliform and nitrate testing is recommended. Monitoring at prescribed frequencies may be required by the DEQ or local health departments, if deemed necessary.

This module does not present all of the testing requirements for various types of water supplies. It is essential that you contact your local health department or DEQ district staff for assistance in understanding and meeting all obligations.

Abandoned Wells

Your property may include abandoned wells. No one knows exactly how many abandoned wells there are in Michigan, although estimates range in the millions. If an unused well is not properly plugged, it provides direct access for contaminants to reach groundwater. State well code requires that abandoned or unused wells be properly plugged.

You may not know the history of your property, so unused well locations may not be obvious. Look for any depressions in the ground that indicate an old well or pipes sticking out of the ground. Wells were often drilled in house basements, under front steps or near old cisterns. If your property was formerly a farmstead, look for wells under old windmills.

To properly plug an abandoned well it generally requires some experience or knowledge of well construction materials, closure methods and the geology of the well site. A state registered water well driller has experience in this area and should be hired to plug abandoned wells. The well driller must meet the minimum well code requirements to plug the well. Special equipment is often required to remove old pumps and piping and to properly plug the well. If inappropriate materials or methods are used, the surrounding area may settle or collapse and continue to be a potential contamination source and make it nearly impossible to repair the defective work.

Plugging requirements vary based on the well type. Contact your local health department for specific requirements.

Costs will vary with the well depth, diameter, and geology of the area. Although, proper well closing takes time and money, ensuring the safety of your operation's drinking water is critical. To learn more about abandoned wells, contact your local health department sanitarian or go to see the Department of Environmental Quality webiste, click on "Drinking Water", then "Abandoned Water Wells".

State of Michigan Wellhead Protection Program

Municipalities throughout Michigan are protecting their village, city or township drinking water wells by participating in the State of Michigan Wellhead Protection Program. Your property may be up-gradient of municipal water well and within their delineated wellhead protection area. Check with your neighboring municipal water plant superintendent to find out if your property is located in their wellhead protection area and how you can work together to protect groundwater that recharges your wells and the neighboring municipality's. State approved wellhead protection area delineations can also be viewed on the Department of Environmental Quality webiste, then "Related Links-Wellhead Protection Area Maps"

Contacts and References

Who to call about...

General issues

Contact the DEQ’s Environmental Assistance Office, (800) 662-9278 and ask to speak to someone in the appropriate program area.

A copy of your water well record or "well log" (construction report)

Contact the well drilling contractor who drilled the well, your local health department office, or the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, at the Department of Environmental Quality webiste, then "Drinking Water", then "Water Well Construction."

Be prepared to provide the legal description (county, township, range, section, and quarter section) of the well's location. If known, provide the year the well was installed and the owner's name at the time. For wells drilled since 2000, a copy of the "well log" may be obtained by going to the Department of Environmental Quality webiste, then "Drinking Water", then "Water Well Construction", then "ONLINE SERVICES-Wellogic".

Well construction or inspection

Contact the local health department sanitarian or registered well driller/pump installer.

For Type I well permits contact the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's District staff.

For Type II and III well permits contact your local health department. Website for contact information listed earlier in this document.

Certified well water testing laboratories

A current listing of laboratories is available from the Department of Environmental Quality webiste, "Key Topics", "Laboratory Services", "Certifications", "Drinking Water Analysis Laboratory".

Interpreting well water test results

Local Health Department offices or the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Drinking water quality standards

US Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline. Call toll free 1-800-426-4791 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Michigan DEQ and/or local health departments

Chemical Backflow

Protect Your Water Supply from Agricultural Chemical Backflow. MSU Extension Bulletin E-2349. Call (517) 353-6740 or check with your county Extension Office.

Approved water treatment devices

Use only those devices certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), an independent testing laboratory.

Requirements for installation of treatment devices

Before installing treatment devices on water supplies contaminated with nitrates, heavy metals, VOC's, pesticides, microorganisms, and other health-related contaminants in excess of health standards, contact your local health department or the Michigan DEQ.

Locating possible sources of contamination

Well drilling contractors, pump installers, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality district office staff, or local health department sanitarians.

Nitrates

Nitrate: A Drinking Water Concern. MSU Extension Bulletin WQ19. Call (517) 353-6740 or check with your county Extension office.

Groundwater, groundwater flow

Introduction to Michigan's Water Resources. MSU Institute of Water Research (517) 353-3742, or E-mail IWR director: Jon Bartholic.

What is Groundwater? MSU Extension Bulletin WQ35. Call (517) 353-6740 or check with your county Extension Office. Groundwater Contamination. MSU Extension Bulletin WQ34. Call (517) 353-6740 or check with your county Extension Office.

Understanding Groundwater: Michigan's Hidden Resource. MSU Extension Bulletin WQ33. Call (517) 353-6740 or check with your county Extension Office.

Well abandonment

Contact your local health department or the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Plugging Abandoned Wells MSU Extension Bulletin WQ40. Call (517) 353-6740 or check with your county Extension office.

Wellhead Protection Worksheets

Wellhead Protection Priority List