SB 5810-S - DIGEST

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/15/99)

     Declares that any well completed into a confined aquifer shall be allowed to flow freely for public uses if:  (1) The well is constructed according to state law and agency rules pertaining to well construction;

     (2) the well has a discharge rate not to exceed twelve gallons per minute;

     (3) the well is within the limits of a city operating under the optional municipal code with a population of thirty-six thousand or more and located within a county with a population of less than four hundred thousand that is west of the crest of the Cascade mountains;

     (4) the well is owned, operated, and maintained by a recognized public body;

     (5) the operator of the well ensures the unused portion of the flow is piped from the well head and discharged directly into a surface water body within the limits of the city; and

     (6) the discharge does not allow for any degradation of water quality.