Sanders County adopts permit program for wells
A permit program for wells drilled within Sanders County will be phased into sanitation practices beginning this month.
Like wastewater systems, owners will be required to obtain a well permit before a well is drilled, the Sanders County Environmental Health Department stated in a press release.
Montana regulates wells in several ways, the department notes. Subdivided parcels must follow approvals issued under the Montana Sanitation in Subdivision Act. Wells outside of subdivisions are approved through a local site evaluation process.
Regardless of where a well is drilled, it must be drilled in accordance with applicable statutes and administrative rules and registered with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the health department states. Additional requirements may apply when drilling a well on tribal land.
Sanders County Environmental Health Department notes that wells are often drilled far from approved locations, and can infringe upon neighboring parcels, creating potential for aquifer contamination. Wells are required to be approved in specific locations to protect the drinking water supplies. Contamination of an aquifer from sewage systems, surface water runoff, road chemicals and other sources can be irreversible and render ground water undrinkable, or undrinkable without treatment, the health department notes
According to county officials, land owners frequently drill wells in locations that infringe upon their neighbor’s property, which can impact property use. In 2017, Sanders County completed approximately eight subdivision revisions due to wells being drilled in unapproved locations, two of which stopped real-estate transactions and resulted in buyers seeking listings without sanitation problems.
“This is likely the tip of the iceberg of what currently exists,” the county health department stated. “As development and property sales increase, there is an increase in complaints about wells drilled in unapproved locations.”
Changing an approved well location is relatively simple and inexpensive, the department stated, and can usually be completed in less than two weeks.
“This is not a new regulation or a change in any existing regulations,” the health department added. “It is simply a permitting process intended to safeguard drinking water supplies and protect clean water as a natural resource.”
Sanders County urges landowners to look closely at sanitation approval documents before drilling wells.
Well permit applications are available from the Sanders County Environmental Health Department at 827-6961.