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12/4/2015 Coeersheet <br /> Public Works <br /> DATE: 12/1/2015 <br /> MEMO: 2015-49 <br /> TO: Honorable Mayor Moore Wolfe and City Council <br /> FTtOM: Timothy Gleason, City Manager <br /> Richard G. Marley, P.E., Public Works Director <br /> SUBJECT: Ordinance prohibiting the use of groundwater as a potable water supply by the installation or use of potable water <br /> supply wells or by any other method within a certain area in the City of Decatur. <br /> SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve the attached Ground Water Ordinance <br /> prohibiting the use of groundwater as a potable water supply for the Christy-Foltz, Inc. business site located at 740 South Main <br /> Street. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> Ground Water Ordinance: <br /> City staff was contacted by Ketchum & Eves, Inc., who represents the owner of the Christy-Foltz, Inc. property located at 740 <br /> South Main Street regarding their remediation efforts resulting from chemicals that have infiltrated into the ground from leaking <br /> petroleum tanks at the site for many years. These tanks were removed in 2013 along with contaminated soil at the site as part of <br /> the corrective actions performed by the property owner. <br /> A Ground Water Ordinance is a tool used by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency(IEPA) to remediate properties where <br /> soil and ground water under the site have been contaminated by chemicals. The ordinance prohibits the use of groundwater as a <br /> potable water supply for the area identified on Exhibits A and B as having the ma�mum potential for ground water contamination <br /> from petroleum that leaked into the gound from the site over the years. <br /> The major benefit of a gound water ordinance is that it serves to keep contaminated water isolated underground and not allow it to <br /> be used for human consumption. The gound water use prohibition area is served by the City's public water supply so the <br /> prohibition will not create a hardship for area residents or businesses. <br /> Water well information is normally gathered through the use of the Source Water Assessment Program(SWAP) database. This <br /> database is maintained by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and is a compilation of data from the Illmois State <br /> Geologic Survey, the Illinois State Water Survey, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the IEPA. The water well survey of <br /> the area was completed using the IEPA's SWAP database. All existing wells shown within the proposed ground water ordinance <br /> area were investigated and determined to be inactive. City water serves the area so future wells will not be needed. <br /> The City maintains the location of ground water use restriction areas on its geographic information system(GIS). This information <br /> is shared with the Macon County Health Department which is the agency in the County that permits well installation. Frequently <br /> asked questions are attached hereto as Appendix A for the information of the City Council. <br /> POTENTIAL OBJECTIONS: There are no known objections to this ordinance. <br /> INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES: <br /> Ketchum & Eves, Inc. <br /> STAFF REFERENCE: Richard Marley, Public Works Director and Matt Newell, City Engineer. Richard Marley will be in <br /> attendance at the City Council meeting to answer any questions of the Council on this item. <br /> BUDGET/TIME IMPLICATTONS: Budget and staff time is negligible for this action. <br /> COPY: Jim Ketchum, Ketchum&Eves, Inc. <br /> ATTACHMENTS: <br /> https://decatur.nowsagenda.com/agendapublic/Co�,erSheet.asp�C?ItemID=337&Meeting ID=13 1/2 <br />