Schuyler County Watershed Protection Agency
Developing a Private Water Supply
The construction and development of a private water supply is regulated through NYS Public Health Law Appendix 5-B, available here at:
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/water/part5/appendix5b.htm
Additionally, approval of the location of a well from a groundwater source is required from the WPA. Approval of the location shall be made in the field with a representative of the owner and the WPA utilizing the prescribed WPA Water Well Construction Form (available here).
Failure to establish a location for a water supply that appears to meet the requirements of Appendix 5-B shall require a waiver from the NYS DOH Hornell District Field Office (using the waiver form found here.)
Following the construction of the well, the Water Well Construction Form shall be signed by the Well Driller and returned to the WPA, along with a copy of the Well Drillers DEC Well Completion Report, sometimes referred to as the well log (available here). It is recommended that the owner retain for their records a copy of the DEC Well Completion Report, as it can be a valuable tool if any future water quality or quantity issues arise.
Prior to the use of the well for consumptive purposes, it is recommended (required if new construction per NYS Uniform Building Code regulations) that the water be tested to verify potability as a water source. This should be done after shock disinfection of the well (procedure for shock disinfection is available here), when chlorine is no longer present in the water. Sampling services are available with the WPA. See the Water Quality Sampling section of the Online Handbook.
A fee shall be assessed for well site approval. For a replacement well site approval, the fee shall include the collection fee for one standard bacteriological presence/absence analysis.
Additional Pertinent Sections
Coliform Bacteria and Drilled Wells
Water Quality Sampling
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