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Many Californians decide to build and live in their own dream home. In many cases, these homes sit on land served by public water supplies, but some home builders need to think about installing their own private water supply. This process is fairly complex in California, so it's important to know about the different steps you will need to take. Learn more here.
Drinking water options
Home builders in California must consider three drinking water options. Many builders will choose land that can connect to a public water supply. The real estate agent or seller can normally tell you if the land is near a public water supply, but you'll need to contact the water provider to find out what regulations and permits apply to a new connection.
If the land isn't near a public water supply, you may find that there is a community well available to homeowners in the area. In most cases, a homeowners' association will manage the well, so you'll need to contact them to find out how you can get access.
If the land has no access to public water or a community well, your only remaining option is to dig a new individual well. You'll need to carefully follow several steps before you can start to use a new well.
Evaluating the potential for a well
You should understand that some areas of land are not suitable for a well. Ground water quality and/or contamination could mean you cannot build where you want to, so you need to evaluate the potential in full detail.
Get the details of the property from the local Public Land Survey System. Next, look for details of any existing wells that other homeowners have drilled in the immediate area. The records will normally tell you how deep the owner had to drill and what the result was. This information could help you understand how complex the drilling work could become.
You will probably need to enlist the help of a surveyor. According to the information available, you may need to interpret geologic maps, topographic maps and aquifer maps. Only an expert can help you adequately understand this information and make an informed decision. Nonetheless, you can also often get useful information from homeowners in or near the desired area. For example, people can sometimes tell you about a disused well that doesn't even appear on official records and land surveys.
Assessing drinking water quality
Of course, you need to know that the water that will come from your well is fit for consumption. While the State of California does not regulate drinking water from private sources, state agencies still support homeowners to make sure they stay safe.
The GAMA Domestic Well Project samples existing domestic wells for several common chemical pollutants, including bacteria, minerals, inorganics like lead and arsenic, and a variety of organics. The GAMA project has already sampled several county areas in California, including Monterey and Yuba.
The results from these tests (available online) can help you decide if you are likely to run into problems in those areas. The GAMA project also publishes details of steps you can take to improve and manage water quality.
Well construction basics
If you decide to construct a new well, you must normally get a permit from the local environmental health agency or water district. The State Water Board publishes detailed standards that apply to well construction in California, and you must hire a licensed contractor to carry out the work for you.
During the construction process, the contractor will record information about the site. He or she must give you and the local permitting agency a copy of all these reports. During construction, the contractor will need to use various seals and screens to prevent pollutants entering the well supply.
Once the well is complete, homeowners should also set up a zone of protection around the well. Local agencies will sometimes have specific rules about how close you can have a well to other land uses, including animal enclosures and septic tanks. Your contractor can help you understand these rules.
If you need to install a new individual well on your land, you'll need to adhere to several Californian regulations. Talk to a land surveyor for more advice.
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