PDFWAC 246-290-135
Source water protection.
(1) The department may require monitoring and controls in addition to those specified in this section if the department determines a potential risk exists to the water quality of a source.
(2) SCA.
(a) The purveyor shall maintain an SCA around all sources for the purpose of protecting them from existing and potential sources of contamination.
(b) For wells and springs, the minimum SCA shall have a radius of one hundred feet (thirty meters) and two hundred feet (sixty meters) respectively, unless engineering justification demonstrates that a smaller area can provide an adequate level of source water protection. The justification shall address geological and hydrological data, well construction details, mitigation measures, and other relevant factors necessary to assure adequate sanitary control.
(c) The department may require a larger SCA than specified in (b) of this subsection, or additional mitigation measures if land use, geological, or hydrological data support the decision. It shall be the purveyor's responsibility to obtain the protection needed.
(d) The purveyor shall prohibit the construction, storage, disposal, or application of any source of contamination within the SCA without the permission of the purveyor.
(e) The SCA shall be owned by the purveyor in fee simple, or the purveyor shall have the right to exercise complete sanitary control of the land through other legal provisions.
(f) A purveyor, owning all or part of the SCA in fee simple or having possession and control, shall send to the department copies of legal documentation, such as a duly recorded declaration of covenant, restricting the use of the land. This legal documentation shall state:
(i) Constructing, storing, disposing, or applying any source of contamination is prohibited without the permission of the purveyor; and
(ii) If any change in ownership of the system or SCA is considered, all affected parties shall be informed of these requirements.
(g) Where portions of the control area are in the possession and control of another, the purveyor shall obtain a duly recorded restrictive covenant which shall run with the land, restricting the use of the land in accordance with this chapter and provide the department with copies of the appropriate documentation.
(3) Wellhead protection.
(a) Purveyors of water systems using groundwater or spring sources shall develop and implement a wellhead protection program.
(b) The wellhead protection program shall be part of the water system plan required under WAC 246-290-100 or the small water system management program required under WAC 246-290-105.
(c) The purveyor's wellhead protection program shall contain, at a minimum, the following elements:
(i) A completed susceptibility assessment or equivalent information;
(ii) WHPA delineation for each well, wellfield, or spring with the six month, one, five and ten year time of travel boundaries marked, or boundaries established using alternate criteria approved by the department in those settings where groundwater time of travel is not a reasonable delineation criteria. WHPA delineations shall be done in accordance with recognized methods such as those described in the following sources:
(A) Department guidance on wellhead protection; or
(B) EPA guidance for delineation of wellhead protection areas;
(iii) An inventory, including identification of site locations and owners/operators, of all known and potential groundwater contamination sources located within the defined WHPA(s) having the potential to contaminate the source water of the well(s) or spring(s). This list shall be updated every two years;
(iv) Documentation of purveyor's notification to all owners/operators of known or potential sources of groundwater contamination identified under (c)(iii) of this subsection;
(v) Documentation of purveyor's notification to regulatory agencies and local governments of the boundaries of the WHPA(s) and the findings of the WHPA inventory;
(vi) A contingency plan to ensure consumers have an adequate supply of potable water in the event that contamination results in the temporary or permanent loss of the principal source of supply (major well(s) or wellfield); and
(vii) Documentation of coordination with local emergency incident responders (including police, fire and health departments), including notification of WHPA boundaries, results of susceptibility assessment, inventory findings, and contingency plan.
(4) Watershed control program.
(a) Purveyors of water systems using surface water or GWI sources shall develop and implement a watershed control program under Part 6 of chapter 246-290 WAC as applicable.
(b) The watershed control program shall be part of the water system plan required under WAC 246-290-100 or the small water system management program required under WAC 246-290-105.
(c) The purveyor's watershed control program shall contain, at a minimum, the following elements:
(i) Watershed description and inventory, including location, hydrology, land ownership and activities that may adversely affect source water quality;
(ii) An inventory of all potential surface water contamination sources and activities, including identification of site locations and owner/operators, located within the watershed and having the significant potential to contaminate the source water quality;
(iii) Watershed control measures, including documentation of ownership and relevant written agreements, and monitoring of activities and water quality;
(iv) System operation, including emergency provisions; and
(v) Documentation of water quality trends.
(d) Purveyors who have not received previous department approval of a watershed control program shall submit a watershed control program to the department for approval. Following department approval, the purveyor shall implement the watershed control program as approved.
(e) Purveyors of systems using unfiltered surface or GWI sources and meeting the criteria to remain unfiltered as specified in WAC 246-290-690 shall submit an annual report to the department that summarizes the effectiveness of the watershed control program. Refer to WAC 246-290-690 for further information about this report.
(f) Purveyors required to develop a small water system management program under WAC 246-290-105 shall update the watershed control program at least every six years.
(g) Purveyors required to submit a water system plan under WAC 246-290-100 shall update the watershed control program when the water system plan is updated.
(h) The department may require purveyors to update the watershed control program more frequently if the department determines that a potential risk exists to the water quality of a source.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050 and 70.119A.080. WSR 17-01-062, § 246-290-135, filed 12/14/16, effective 1/14/17; WSR 10-20-068, § 246-290-135, filed 9/29/10, effective 11/1/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.119A.180 and 43.20.050. WSR 08-03-061, § 246-290-135, filed 1/14/08, effective 2/14/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.02.050 [43.20.050]. WSR 99-07-021, § 246-290-135, filed 3/9/99, effective 4/9/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. WSR 94-14-001, § 246-290-135, filed 6/22/94, effective 7/23/94; WSR 93-08-011 (Order 352B), § 246-290-135, filed 3/25/93, effective 4/25/93.]