Section 920.130  Water Well Permit Requirements

a)         Permit.  A permit to construct a new water well, modify an existing water well or seal an abandoned water well shall be obtained from the Department or approved local health department prior to start of work.

b)         Application.  Application for a permit shall be made on the forms provided by the Department or approved local health department.  All applications for permit shall include a plan and drawing of the proposed construction.  At a minimum the plan shall include:

1)         A drawing indicating lot size, direction of slope, location of property lines, and distances from proposed well construction to septic tanks, abandoned wells, property lines, seepage fields, sewers, and all other sources of contamination, and an indication of the type of contamination source;

2)         Water well driller's license number and name;

3)         Estimated daily pumping capacity if greater than 100,000 gallons per day;

4)         The location of the water well, including county, city, street address or lot number, township, range, directions to the site (i.e., subdivision lot number, highway number, secondary roads, signs to follow, etc.), and section;

5)         Name and address of the owner of the well;

6)         Type of well to be constructed (bored, dug, drilled or driven);

7)         An estimate of the depth of the well;

8)         Type of well (i.e., non-potable use well, such as an irrigation, livestock or industrial water well, private water well, semi-private water well, or non-community public water well); and

9)         Proposed aquifer.

c)         Expiration.  A permit is void if construction has not commenced within one year after the date of issuance.

d)         Water Well Fee.  The fee to be paid for a permit to construct, deepen, modify or seal a water well shall not exceed $100.

e)         The Department will grant permit requests that meet the requirements of the Act and this Part.  The Department's standards for denial of a permit request are set forth in subsection (f).

f)         Groundwater Contamination

1)         The Department will deny the approval of a permit request when available information indicates that the groundwater aquifer contains contamination that exceeds the Class I groundwater standards adopted in the Groundwater Quality Standards Code.  A potential public health problem may be detected on the basis of a sanitary survey, laboratory analyses, location of known sources of pollution, condition of water supply, type of construction or information from previous well owners that might indicate the water would be too hazardous to drink.

2)         The Department will grant approval of a request for a permit when approved treatment is shown to reduce contaminant levels below the levels of recognized health advisories or established by the Department and the federal government and referenced in this subsection (f)(2).  Treatment includes, but is not limited to, sampling for additional contaminants, more frequent sampling for contaminants, or imposing maximum contaminant levels specified in the Drinking Water Systems Code, or in public health advisories concerning the safety of drinking water issued by the Department or USEPA.

g)         Notification.  Any person who constructs, deepens, modifies or seals a water well for which a permit has been issued under this Part shall notify the Department, approved local health department, or approved unit of local government by telephone or in writing at least two days prior to commencement of the work.

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 15751, effective August 30, 2022)