2019-03-27 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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out of water. This is a health and safety issue and the city should not put itself between a person and their well-being. In many cases, the issues occur in the winter, making it difficult, if not impossible for the person to comply with the existing ordinance until Spring. Again, because of winter conditions, there are no temporary options the city can provide. This forces them to fix their well as an interim solution, meaning, they will spend several thousand on their well, only to be forced into abandoning it a few months later in lieu of a city hook-up. Even in the summer, it is difficult for someone to find a contractor and get the city connection made in a timely enough manner where they can go without water to avoid the extra expense of a well repair. The advantages of Option 1, and reasons the ordinance was written this way in the first place, are that it discourages major investments in wells, which accelerates the connection to city water. The city has made steady progress in connecting homes to water over the past decade and a half and eliminating this criteria will slow that momentum. Option 2 The second option here is to revise our ordinance to simply allow any repair to a well that doesn't involve drilling a new well. When a well fails to the point where a new well needs to be drilled, this represents a much larger investment, making it a more palatable choice to spend money hooking to city water. The rule would not leave room for dispute about how much is being spent; there's no argument about whether or not you meet the threshold. You are either drilling a new well or you are not. While there are still issues surrounding mid-winter failures, wells don't tend to "go bad" overnight. A pump or other mechanical failures are sudden,but often a well that runs dry or begins to have water quality issues is something that comes with some warning and is more of a gradual occurrence. This allows the homeowner more time to plan for the hook-up and often they may be able to limp their existing system along for a few months, waiting for spring. While this change would avoid contentious disputes over repair bills, it does mean that there will be fewer hook-ups to city water and prolongs that process. As a refresher on the complex issues surrounding wells, the city attorney has provided this summary of the law: FAST FACTS—WATER CONNECTIONS &WELL REGULATION • What Can A City Regulate? o A City can regulate plumbing or pumping equipment used to draw water from a private well. o A City cannot regulate "the construction, repair, or sealing of wells or borings." o A City can prohibit the use of private wells for domestic water use or consumption. o A City cannot ban existing private wells except those that pose a danger or nuisance. 74