§ 153.104. WELLHEAD PROTECTION AREA.

(A) Master plan policy statement. The following policy statement will be included within the village master plan:

(1) Wellhead protection. The village relies exclusively on groundwater for its drinking water source. In response to the concern over safety of public water supplies, the city has instituted a Wellhead Protection Program (WHPP). WHPPs develop long-term strategies aimed at protecting community drinking water supplies. The purpose of developing a WHPP is to identify the Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) and develop long-term strategies aimed at safeguarding the area from contamination. A WHPA is defined as the surface and subsurface areas surrounding a water well or well field, which supplies a public water system, and through which contaminants are reasonably likely to move toward and reach the water well or well field within a ten-year time-of-travel. The State of Michigan requires communities to identify seven elements to be included in the WHPP. These elements along with a brief description are below.

(2) Roles and responsibilities. Identify individuals responsible for the development, implementation, and long-term maintenance of the local WHPP.

(3) WHPA delineation. Determine that area which contributes groundwater to the public water supply wells.

(4) Contaminant source inventory. Identify known and potential sites of contamination within the WHPA and include in a contaminant source inventory list and map.

(5) Management strategies. Provide mechanisms which will reduce the risk of existing and potential sources of contamination from reaching the public water supply wells or well field.

(6) Contingency planning. Develop an effective contingency plan in case of a water supply emergency.

(7) Siting of new wells. Provide information on existing groundwater availability, the ability of the PWSS to meet present and future demands and the vulnerability of the existing wells to contamination.

(8) Public education and outreach. Generate community awareness in the WHPP by focusing on public education and the dissemination of WHPP information.

(B) It is the intent of this master plan to encourage protection of the village's public water supply wells through the establishment of a Wellhead Protection Zoning Ordinance. Within this section, zoning regulations will limit land uses and practices that may degrade groundwater quality within and outside the WHPA.

(C) The most significant sources of water supply contamination are landfills, surface impoundment areas, subsurface percolation from septic tanks and cesspools, open dumps, uncapped or improperly capped abandoned wells, injection wells and underground storage tanks. These uses represent both point and non-point contamination sources.

(D) Point source is the term used to describe contaminants, which originate in the immediate area of the well or tap. All of the above, if located in close proximity to the water supply source, are examples of potential point source polluters. Contaminants from these uses may seep directly down through the soil to the water source.

(E) Non-point source contamination is much more difficult to control because the cause of the problem may potentially be located a considerable distance from the well. This type of contamination is caused by pollutants that filter into an underground aquifer and then migrate slowly through the groundwater aquifer to off-site wells and water sources. Prevention of this type of contamination must involve a collective effort on the part of property owners and local officials from a large geographic area. It is the recommendation of this plan that all existing and future wells be protected from both point and non-point source contamination to the greatest degree possible. It is also the intent of this plan to recognize the importance of groundwater protection within the village.

(Ord. passed - -)