Well Drilling and Wellhead Protection

Residents of St. Joseph County obtain their drinking water from our abundant supply of groundwater. Groundwater in many areas of the county is susceptible to contamination due to the soil type which can allow contaminants to move easily through groundwater. The protection of our groundwater is key to providing good quality drinking water to residents and ensuring our community remains a desirable place to live and work.

Under County Code 52, The Department of Health protects groundwater in areas where large volumes of water are pumped to supply drinking water to cities and towns. These areas are called Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPAs). Any business that is located within a WHPA and poses a threat to groundwater is required to be permitted and inspected. The Department of Health also responds to spills; however, the Wellhead Protection Program focuses on preventing contamination of our groundwater rather than cleaning it up.

Do I need a WHP permit?
If a business is near a public water-well or large water tower, there is a good chance it is in a WHPA. If you do not know if your business is in a WHPA, contact your local public water system or the Department of Health to find out for sure.

Generally, if your business is within a WHPA and you have dry wells, petroleum products, or any threats to groundwater (referenced above), you may need to obtain a permit. However, there are exclusions, exceptions, and special conditions that may affect whether you need a permit. Even if a business is not required to obtain a permit, it is still subject to inspections and must report spills of hazardous materials to the Department of Health.

How Do I Obtain a WHP Permit?
Any business that is located within a WHPA that poses a threat to groundwater must submit a permit application to the Department of Health. The application includes a number of questions about what hazardous or regulated materials are present on-site and how the business prevents contaminants from getting into the groundwater. A permit fee must be submitted with the application.

An Environmental Health Specialist will review the application, conduct a thorough site inspection, and if needed, work with the business to develop ways to manage threats to the groundwater. After a permit is issued, routine inspections are performed. If you have any questions, need information, or need help in preparing a permit application, contact the Department of Health at envirohd@sjcindiana.gov or (574) 235-9750.

• Well Owner Information

The following threats have the potential to contaminate and impact groundwater:

• Drywell/Retention Basin
• Surface Impoundment
• Above Ground Storage Tanks
• Outdoor Storage Area
• Underground Storage Tanks
• Motor Vehicle Waste Recovery Well
• Container Storage Areas
• Improperly Abandoned Well
• Oil/Water Separator
• Motor Vehicle Storage/Salvage Yard
• Waste Pile
• Major Construction Site
• Rail or Truck Loading Facility
• Other Threats as Determined

Water wells are a direct conduit to our groundwater. When old water well is not in use, it must be properly abandoned in order to prevent any potential contaminants from entering the well and reaching our groundwater. County Code 52 requires any water well that has not been in use for over 1 year to be abandoned.

A permit from the Department of Health is required to abandon a well and the abandonment must be done by a well-driller registered with Saint Joseph County. The well-driller must call the Department of Health at least (2) two hours prior to abandoning any well and provide an opportunity for a Department of Health inspector to be present while the well is being abandoned.

The following process must be followed to install any water well in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Water wells include but are not limited to any potable well or non-potable well. Non-potable are all wells not used for drinking or culinary purposes and include but are not limited to irrigation wells, geothermal wells, monitoring wells, de-watering wells, waterscape wells, and fire suppression wells.

• Complete a well-permit application and submit it to the Department of Health with the well-application fee.
• Fees: A non-refundable permit fee must be paid when the application is submitted. The Department of Health accepts cash, money orders, cashier's checks, or business checks. The Department of Health does not accept personal checks.
• The application includes:
  • A drawing must be completed by a well-driller, licensed surveyor, professional engineer, professional geologist, soil scientist, or architect.
  • The drawing must include the location of the proposed well and distances to a number of items, including all septic systems, structures, property lines, and other items.
• The Department of Health will accept or reject a permit application, usually within five working days, and will notify the applicant by phone, fax, or mail as requested. If an approval is needed sooner than five days, the Department of Health will make every effort to accommodate a request for expedited approval.
• The well may be installed only after the Department of Health grants its approval and a well-permit is received. The permit must be onsite during the installation of the well.
• The well-driller must call the Department of Health at least (2) two hours prior to abandoning any well and provide an opportunity for a Department of Health inspector to be present while the well is being abandoned. The Department of Health will conduct a final inspection to make certain the well was installed according to state and county requirements.
• After installation of any drinking water well, the drinking water system must be disinfected by the well-driller using procedures provided by the Department of Health.
• After disinfection and thorough rinsing of the well, the property owner must have the well-sampled, and the results of the sampling must be submitted within 30 days after installation of the well. The Department of Health will contact the property owner if there are any water quality issues that arise.
• After the well has been installed and the Department of Health has received all reports from the driller and the results of the water test from the owner, the Department of Health will issue a well complete letter that includes a well-permit sticker to be placed on the north side of the well.