HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-09-08-J05 Water Well Protection Ordinance_INTRO, 1ST READAGENDA ITEM:
CITY OF WAUKEE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL MEETING COMMUNICATION
MEETING DATE: September 8, 2020
AGENDA ITEM:Consideration of approval of enacting an ordinance Chapter 229, Waukee
Municipal Code, regarding Water Well Projection [introduction; first reading]
FORMAT:Ordinance
SYNOPSIS INCLUDING PRO & CON: Due to the growth of the City of Waukee and the water
demands on the current water system, the City is undertaking improvements to
assure adequate pressure, storage and treatment of the City’s water supply and
distribution system to assure quality and safe water supply capable of meeting
the City’s needs, now and into the future. The water system will draw and
store its water supply using different mechanisms including, but not limited
to, water towers and aquifer storage and recovery systems.
It is necessary to assure that the risk of contamination of the City’s water
supply is eliminated by limiting activities within certain distances to City
water infrastructure that pose an increased risk of potential contamination of
the City water supply. City staff has determined it is in the best interest of its
residents to enact an ordinance to protect existing and future water wells. This
ordinance will also meet a requirement the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources is requiring the City to meet in order to receive approval to convert
the existing deep water well located in the northwest quadrant of the Waukee
Cemetery into an aquifer storage and recovery well.
FISCAL IMPACT INCLUDING COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS:
COMMISSION/BOARD/COMMITTEE COMMENT:
STAFF REVIEW AND COMMENT:
RECOMMENDATION: Introduce the Ordinance and approve the first reading in title only.
ATTACHMENTS: I. Proposed Ordinance
PREPARED BY: Beth Richardson
REVIEWED BY: Rudy Koester RK
PUBLIC NOTICE INFORMATION –
NAME OF PUBLICATION:
DATE OF PUBLICATION:
J5
ORDINANCE NO. ____
AN ORDINANCE ENACTING CHAPTER 229, WAUKEE MUNICIPAL CODE,
REGARDING WATER WELL PROTECTION
WHEREAS, the City has established a water utility which generates and distributes quality
potable water to the community and its residents; and
WHEREAS, the City is continually reviewing the water demands of this rapidly growing
community and planning and undertaking improvements to assure adequate pressure, storage and
treatment of the water supply and capabilities of water distribution to assure quality and safe water
supply capable of meeting the City’s needs, now and in the future; and
WHEREAS, the water system draws and stores its water supply using different mechanisms
including, but not limited to, water towers, storage facilities, wells and aquifer storage and recovery
systems (ASR wells); and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to assure that the risk of contamination of the City’s water supply
is eliminated, to the extent possible, by limiting activities in proximity to City water infrastructure
that poses an increase the risk of potential contamination to the City water supply; and
WHEREAS, the City of Waukee has determined it is in the best interests of its residents to
enact an ordinance to protect the City’s water supply.
BE IT THEREFORE ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Waukee:
Section 1: Chapter 200, Waukee Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding Section
229 as follows:
§ 229 – WATER WELL PROTECTION.
§ 229.01 DEFINITIONS. For use in this chapter, the following terms are defined.
1.“Aquifer” means a rock formation, group of rock formations or part of a rock formation
that contains enough saturated permeable materials to yield significant quantities of water.
2.“Deep public well” means a public well located and constructed in such a manner that
there is a continuous layer of low permeable soil or rock at least five (5) feet thick located
at least twenty-five (25) feet below the normal ground surface and above the aquifer from
which the water is drawn.
3.“Shallow public well” means a public well located and constructed in such a manner that
there is NOT a continuous layer of low permeable soil or rock at least five (5) feet thick
which is located at least twenty-five (25) feet below the normal ground surface and above
the aquifer from which the water is drawn.
4.“Well” means a pit or hole sunk into the earth to reach a resource supply such as water.
§ 229.02 DESIGNATION OF WELLS. Each well or Aquifer owned and operated
by the City at this time shall be designated as a “deep public well” for the purposes of this chapter.
§ 229.03 WELL PROTECTION. All land uses, and the construction of all
structures or facilities, must meet the separation distances from all City wells as required in the
Iowa Administrative Code 567-Environmental Protection, Chapter 43 Water Supplies - Design
and Operation.
Table A from the current Iowa Administrative Code is included for reference.
Table A: Separation Distances
SOURCE OF
CONTAMINATION
REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM WELL, IN FEET
Deep Well1 Shallow Well1
WASTEWATER STRUCTURES:
Point of Discharge to Ground Surface
Sanitary & Industrial
Discharges
400 400
Water Treatment Plant
Wastes
50 50
Well House Floor Drains 5 5
Sewers & Drains2
Sanitary & Storm Sewers,
Drains
0-25 feet: prohibited
25-75 feet if water main pipe
75-200 feet if sanitary sewer
pipe
0-25 feet: prohibited
25-75 feet if water main pipe
75-200 feet if sanitary sewer
main pipe
Sewer Force Mains 0-75 feet: prohibited
75-400 feet if water main pipe
400-1000 feet if water main or
sanitary sewer pipe
0-75 feet: prohibited
75-400 feet if water main pipe
400-1000 feet if water main or
sanitary sewer pipe
Water Plant Treatment
Process Wastes that are
Treated Onsite
0-5 feet: prohibited
5-50 feet if sanitary sewer pipe
0-5 feet: prohibited
5-50 feet if sanitary sewer
main pipe
Water Plant Wastes to
Sanitary Sewer
0-25 feet: prohibited
25-75 feet if water main pipe
75-200 feet if sanitary sewer
pipe
0-25 feet: prohibited
25-75 feet if water main pipe
75-200 feet if sanitary sewer
main pipe
Well House Floor Drains
to Sewers
0-25 feet: prohibited
25-75 feet if water main pipe
75-200 feet if sanitary sewer
pipe
0-25 feet: prohibited
25-75 feet if water main pipe
75-200 feet if sanitary sewer
pipe
Well House Floor Drains
to Surface
0-5 feet: prohibited
0-50 feet if sanitary sewer pipe
0-5 feet: prohibited
0-50 feet if sanitary sewer
main pipe
Land Disposal of Treated Wastes
Irrigation of Wastewater 200 400
Land Application of Solid
Wastes3
200 400
Other
Cesspools & Earth Pit
Privies
200 400
Concrete Vaults & Septic
Tanks
100 200
Lagoons 400 1000
Mechanical Wastewater
Treatment Plants
200 400
Soil Absorption Fields 200 400
CHEMICALS:
Chemical Application to
Ground Surface
100 200
Chemical & Mineral
Storage above Ground
100 200
Chemical & Mineral
Storage on or Under
Ground
200 400
Transmission Pipelines
(such as fertilizer, liquid
petroleum or anhydrous
ammonia)
200 400
ANIMALS:
Animal Pasturage 50 50
Animal enclosure 200 400
Earthen Silage Storage
Trench or Pit
100 200
Animal Wastes
Land Application of
Liquid or Slurry
200 400
Land Application of
Solids
200 400
Solids Stockpile 400 400
Storage Basin or Lagoon 400 1000
Storage Tank 200 400
MISCELLANEOUS:
Basements, Pits, Sumps 10 10
Cemeteries 200 200
Cisterns 50 100
Flowing Streams or Other
Surface Water Bodies
50 50
Railroads 100 200
Private Wells 200 400
Solid Waste Landfills and
Disposal Sites4
1000 1000
1 Refer to Section 229.01 for definition.
2 The separation distances are dependent upon two factors: the type of piping that is in the existing sewer or
drain, as noted in the table, and that the piping was properly installed in accordance with the standards.
3 Solid wastes are those derived from the treatment of water or wastewater. Certain types of solid wastes from
water treatment processes may be land-applied within the separation distance on an individual, case-by-case
basis.
4 Solid waste means garbage, refuse, rubbish and other similar discarded solid or semisolid materials, including
but not limited to such materials resulting from industrial, commercial, agricultural and domestic activities.
Section 2. Repealer. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions
of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
Section 3. Severability Clause. If any section, provision or part of this ordinance shall
be adjudged invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the
ordinance as a whole or any section, provisions or part thereof not adjudged invalid or
unconstitutional.
Section 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in effect from and after its final
passage, approval and publication as provided by law.
Passed by the Council the _____ day of _____________________ 2020, and approved this _____
day of _____________________ 2020.
Courtney Clarke, Mayor
Attest:
Rebecca D. Schuett, City Clerk