Public Water Systems
How to determine if your facility is a public water system:
A public water system is needed for your facility, project, or business if…
It regularly provides water to at least 25 individuals at least 60 days out of the year or has 15 or more service connections (even if a supplemental drinking water supply such as bottled water is provided). The provision of water for human consumption is defined to include: hand washing, cooking, dishwashing, bathing, or drinking.
- Public water systems with 25 or more people usually include schools, restaurants, commercial or industrial facilities, agribusinesses, churches, RV parks, and campgrounds.
- Public water systems with 15 or more service connections usually include mobile home parks, residential subdivisions, or small communities.
Once it is determined that your facility needs a public water system and you have identified the proposed water supply and type of system (see Permit Classifications), an application and water system design will need to be submitted to the Imperial County Division of Environmental Health (LPA) in order to begin the permitting process (see Permit Requirements).
What type of public water system are you?
When it is determined that your facility is going to be permitted as a public water system, the LPA will also classify your water system into one of the following classifications to determine the type of permit required:
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Community (CWS): a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by yearlong residents or regularly serves at least 25 year long residents of the area served by the system. An example would be a community with residential homes served by a single water system or a mobile home park.
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Non-Transient Non-Community (NTNC): a public water system that is not a community water system and that regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons over six months per year. An example would be a school or workplace.
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Transient Non-Community (TNC): a non-community water system that does not regularly serve at least 25 of the same persons over six months per year. An example would be a campground, church, or park.
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State Small Water System (State Small): a public water system that has 5 to 14 residential service connections, and does not regularly serve potable water to more than 25 individuals for more than 60 days out of the year. An example would be a small residential community with less than 10 homes served by a single water supply.
What type of water supply?
The next step is to determine where you will be getting the water to supply the water system; either ground water or surface water. If your facility is located in the eastern (Palo Verde, Winterhaven, Bard, Colorado River, Pilot Knob, Glamis, etc.) or western (Ocotillo, Salton City, etc.) edges of the county, your available water source will likely be from a ground water well. However, if your facility is located in the agricultural zoned portions of the county (anywhere south of the Salton Sea and between the Westside Main Canal and the East Highline Canal), your facility may have access to either ground water or IID canal water. If your facility decides to use IID canal water, your water system will be characterized as a surface water system.*
*For information on land use permits required for the development of a well, please contact the Imperial County Planning & Development Services (ICPDS) at 760-482-4236. For information on obtaining an IID service connection for canal water, please contact the IID Water Department at 760-339-9379.
- Water System Facility Information
- Bacteriological Sample Siting Plan - Groundwater Systems
- Bacteriological Sample Siting Plan - Surface Water Systems
- Disinfection Byproducts Sampling Plan
- DWR - Grout Advisory
- Emergency Notification Plan
- Lead & Copper Form 141-A
- Lead & Copper Sampling Plan
- Lead & Copper Worksheet
- Operation Plan Guidelines
- Permit Application
- State Approved Surface Water Treatment Systems
- TMF Instructions
- TMF Assessment Form
Getting started on permitting a public water system:
The following tasks are required when beginning the permitting process for a water system. Due to the differences in the types of approvals required to obtain a State Permit, the required tasks have been separated into surface water and ground water systems.
Surface Water Systems
- A permit application and a $1,200 deposit must be submitted to the LPA.
- At the time of submitting the permit application, the following documents shall be submitted in order to begin the review process:
- Submit a technical report prepared by a qualified engineer. The technical report will contain design information for the overall treatment facility (raw water source, treatment system, storage tanks, and distribution pumps) and the Operations Plan that will describe how the water system will be operated and maintained. Please note that any proposed treatment system must be a State Approved Treatment System.
- Complete and submit a Technical, Managerial and Financial document (TMF).
- Submit the following Plans:
- Disinfection By-Products Sampling Plan (if applicable)
- Bacteriological Sample Siting Plan
- Lead and Copper Sampling Plan (if applicable)
- Emergency Notification Plan
- When the technical report, TMF, and all the Plans have been reviewed and approved, the LPA will issue a Notice to Construct the water system.
- Once constructed, the LPA will conduct a final inspection of the water system to ensure construction was completed in accordance with the approve plans.
- The LPA will then draft and issue the State Permit that will outline the operating conditions of the water system. An annual Health Permit must also be obtained prior to operation of the water system.
- The following is a list of ongoing requirements to maintain your water system in compliance:
- Maintain a certified water operator
- Obtain the annual Health Permit
- Perform all required sampling (annually, quarterly, bi-annually)
- Participate in the IID Joint Monitoring Program
Ground Water Systems
- ALL water wells in Imperial County require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that is issued through the ICPDS. A permit application must be submitted to them. This process should be started as quickly as possible due to the duration of the environmental review process.
- A permit application and a $1,200 deposit must be submitted to the LPA.
- At the time of submitting the permit application, the following documents shall be submitted in order to begin the review process:
- Submit a site plan showing the location of the well. The well must be located at least 200 feet from any potential contamination activities (i.e. septic tanks and leach fields, below ground fuel storage tanks, animal storage areas, etc.). The site plan must also include all water and sewer pipelines throughout the facility.
- Submit a well construction drawing showing the underground and above-ground well components. The well shall be drilled by a C-57 licensed contractor to public water system standards, as outlined in the California Water Well Standards. The drawing shall specify the diameter of the well, the depth of the well, the diameter and material of the well casing, the width, depth and material of the annular seal, the pump size and type (vertical or submersible), and all the above-ground well appurtenances on the well discharge line (check valve, sample tap, flow meter, concrete base, etc.).
- Complete and submit a Technical, Managerial, and Financial document (TMF).
- Submit the following plans:
- Bacteriological Sample Siting Plan
- Disinfection By-Products Plan (if applicable)
- Lead and Copper Sampling Plan (if applicable)
- Emergency Notification Plan
- Once all the submittals and plans have been approved by the LPA, and a CUP has been obtained, the LPA will issue a Notice to Construct for the well. An inspection of the cement annular seal construction is required by this Division.
- Once completed, water samples from the well shall be taken immediately to determine if the water meets Primary and Secondary drinking water standards. If it is determined that the water does not meet standards, treatment of the well water will be required. If the water quality from the well meets drinking water standards, the well construction can be finalized and no treatment will be necessary.
- If treatment of the well water is required, a qualified engineer must submit a design for the treatment components, which must be NSF 61 certified for public drinking water systems.
- After approval of the treatment design, or if the water does not require treatment, the annual Health Permit must be obtained. The LPA will then draft and issue the State Permit that will outline the operating conditions of the water system.
- The following is a list of ongoing requirements to maintain your water system in compliance:
- Maintain a certified water operator (if applicable)
- Obtain the annual Health Permit
- Perform all required sampling (annually, quarterly, bi-annually)