2010-68 PROHIBITING THE USE OF GROUNDWATER AS A POTABLE WATER SUPPLY

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10. How is a ground water ordinance enforced? How do property owners know that they cannot drill potable water wells areas covered by a Ground Water Ordinance? Enforcement is a difficult issue and one that the IEPA does not directly address. With the vast majority of Decatur being served by its municipal water system, potable water wells are not common in the City although they are present at various locations. The City is not involved with licensing or permitting potable water well installation. The Macon County Health Department authorizes all potable water wells that are installed in Macon County. Section I of the Macon County Water Well Permit and Water Supply Ordinance states: "In those locations where a public water supply is reasonably available, that supply shall be the sole source of water for drinking and culinary purposes. " The Health Department will contact the City with any requests for potable water wells within City limits; such requests are very rare due to the availability of the City's public water supply. The City shows the Ground Water Ordinance areas on its Geographic Information System(GIS) in order to identify and track the areas. The Health Department is concerned that wells are occasionally installed without proper permits. The City's Ground Water Use Ordinance specifies a$500 per violation fine for any potable water wells drilled in a prohibited area. As the number of Ground Water Ordinances enacted by the City increases it becomes increasingly desirable, from an enforcement standpoint, to enact an ordinance prohibiting any new potable water wells within the City limits. This is a topic for further review. 11. Is the contamination source removed? How much of the contaminated soil is removed? The starting point of a remediation process is the removal of the source of contamination. The source is not always a leaking storage tank but may include leaking pipes or an accumulation of spills over time. When a spill or a leak occurs,the soil around the leak becomes saturated with gasoline or oil. This is called the"soil saturation limit" when the soil is not simply damp with gasoline but is suspended in the liquid similar to a very wet mud. The saturated area is a source of contamination that is normally removed along with the leaking tank or as part of the cleanup process. The area that is not saturated but does have some of the gas absorbed into it is normally allowed to remain with a barrier placed over it to keep it from coming into contact with people. This barrier may be pavement, a Ground Water Ordinance, a Highway Authority Agreement or some other form of remediation. Appendix A, Page 4