Water wells now being regulated

Local News

September 9, 2009

By Eloria Newell James, community@leadercall.com The Laurel Leader-Call Wed Sep 09, 2009, 10:32 AM CDT

The City of Laurel is now regulating water well construction in the city.

This new regulation comes after more than a year of discussion.

Last year in April, the Laurel City Council had slated the item for a vote. After some discussions, the issue was referred to the council’s Public Works Committee for more discussion and modification.

Then last month, the City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing regulations concerning private water wells.

Tuesday, Laurel resident Henry Thompson said he’s concerned about the new ordinance regulating private wells.

Thompson said the City of Laurel shouldn’t be reaping any benefits from this. He said this water does not go into the sanitation system.

Councilman Tony Thaxton said the “city has a legitimate interest in knowing who’s drilling wells.

“We are not telling them that they can’t drill a well,” Thaxton added. “We are just getting a mechanism to inventory them.”

Project Manager for United Water Ralph Gorenflo said the proposed ordinance does not prohibit water wells in the city.

“It’s not a prohibition,” he said. “It’s a vehicle to control them.”

Council president Tony Wheat said the ordinance is needed to help the city regulate the water that could be released into the city’s sewer system.

“This is not in anyway going to effect anyone’s ability to have a private well,” Wheat said. “However, any time they connect to the city’s sewer system, that discharge will be metered.”

According to the ordinance, any well drilled or operated within the city for private use shall not be connected in any manner with the city water and sewer system without specific written authorization.

The ordinance also requires that any private well within the city shall conform to the requirements of all state, federal and local regulations including those administered by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Mississippi State Board of Health.

Also, prior to beginning construction of a new well, the owner and/or operator shall file a permit application with the City of Laurel Inspection Department or other designated city departments.

The ordinance also has fines listed in the document for those who fail in any way to conform with the provisions of the ordinance.

Councilman Johnny Magee questioned why the city’s fine went up to $1,000.

Gorenflo said that the fines guideline had been suggested to him by an engineering firm.

Under the ordinance, a person found to be in violation of the ordinance, first offense, “shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 and/or imprisonment up to 30 days.”

Based on the council’s approval vote Tuesday, the ordinance took effect immediately from and after its passage “due to the public interest and necessity of providing adequate public services and to avoid any continuing inconvenience or interruption of public services as rendered by the City of Laurel.”

Also Tuesday, the council conducted hearings on the cleanliness of property and approved several other ordinances.

The council also adopted an order authorizing the city clerk to advertise for bids for property insurance cover and boiler and machinery coverage for the city; adopted an order approving the lot cleaning assessment bills on property cleaned by the city; and approved the first reading of an ordinance amending the city zoning ordinance.

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