Health officials in Kalamazoo County are calling for more regulation of some water wells. Right now, non-drinking wells that draw less than 70 gallons per minute do not need a permit. The state does set rules for wells that pull more than that volume.
Lower-volume wells are used for cooling and irrigation among other things. Health Director Jim Rutherford says without a permit, users might unwittingly draw water from polluted areas. Rutherford says those wells could also serve as a conduit for new pollution if they are not properly installed.
“Whatever I’m doing on my site with my well, it could have implications down the road,” Rutherford told the County Board on Tuesday.
But some county board members greeted the proposal with skepticism. Commissioner Ron Kendall suggested that farmers would be careful not to pollute their wells.
“I’m just missing the connect of how this protects us, how this helps,” he said.
Most health districts in Michigan issue permits for non-drinking wells, but Kalamazoo, as well as the Berrien and Van Buren districts are among the seven that do not. The county board is expected to set a hearing on the proposal.
