The Groundwater Resource Section (GRS) is responsible for protecting the City's groundwater resources against degradation or unwise management. Local government has major responsibilities in this area as emphasized by the State in its Comprehensive Planning Act and other legislation. The GRS obtains much of its direct authority under Chapter 366 of the City Ordinance Code and Environmental Protection Board (EPB) Rule 8.
To fulfill its responsibilities, GRS works with more than ten other local, state and federal agencies in a variety of educational, regulatory, resource condition monitoring and research functions. A GRS top priority is protecting the City's principal potable water supply, the Floridan Aquifer. However, the program has grown to include more responsibilities in all of the City's aquifers.
Typical GRS duties include: regularly monitoring resource conditions such as ground water levels and quality, establishing coalitions to ensure that needed additional studies are performed to better define resource limitations or conditions, permitting wells or activities in wellhead protection areas, developing and maintaining a current inventory of wells, protecting wells and wellfields against the spread of salt water intrusion or groundwater contamination, ensuring abandoned wells are properly plugged, developing programs to protect recharge areas, educating the public on resource conditions and water conservation measures.
GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS (monthly updates are available upon request)
Hydrologic Conditions
At the end of December water levels in the City averaged 37.63 feet above mean sea level (MSL). The average monthly water level the during the past twelve months was 36.72 feet, which means they averaged 4.72 feet above their JCCI Environmental Quality Of Life in Jacksonville Indicator goal for 2005. This goal highlights the need to maintain water levels as a strategy to help protect against saltwater intrusion in the Floridan aquifer. Currently 9 monitoring wells in the City are averaging 10.05 feet above their previous record low levels. In December water levels in 18 wells in the Floridan Aquifer in a NE Florida monitoring network were 1.03 feet higher than last year. Water levels in the City wells in this network were 0.93 feet above last year's levels. Compared to the prior month, water levels in the region were 0.32 feet higher, and in the City they were 0.29 feet higher.
Rainfall for 1997 was approximately 12% above normal and varied widely throughout the County. Generally, water levels in the Floridan Aquifer are dependent on rainfall and water usage conditions. This hydrologic condition summary was prepared by the Environmental Quality Division's Technical Services Branch (TSB) using data collected through cooperative agreements with the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS).
REGULATORY PROGRAMS
The Technical Services Branch has responsibility for implementing two permitting programs. Both programs are under the Groundwater Resource Section.
WELL PERMITTING
Permits are required under Chapter 366 of the City Ordinance Code and EPB Rule 8 prior to the construction, repair or abandonment of:
1. All Floridan Aquifer Wells less than 6 inches in diameter (permits are required for wells with depth to within 75feet vertically of this aquifer, they are generally deeper than 250 feet)
2. All other public supply wells as defined in Ch.10D - 4 Florida Administrative Code (FAC).
3. All wells within 500 feet of a hazardous waste or groundwater contamination site.
4. Exploration or foundation holes constructed to within 75' vertically of or through the Floridan Aquifer.
5. Any injection or drainage well provided by a variance from the Environmental Protection Board (EPB).
6. Industrial or commercial process water supply wells.
7. Air sparging wells.
8. Recovery wells.
Exemptions From Local Permitting:
1. Persons required to have a well permit issued by the State or St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) are not required to obtain a permit from this agency, except for drainage and injection wells. The SJRWMD permits Public Water Supply wells as defined in Ch. 62 - 555 FAC, wells 6 inches in diameter or greater, and wells in Delineation Areas as defined in Ch. 62 - 524 FAC.
2. Underground petroleum storage tank monitoring wells pursuant to 62 - 761FAC.
3. Some monitoring wells and piezometer wells.
Other Requirements For Well Construction:
1. All persons constructing wells within the City must file a completion report with this agency, regardless of whether a permit was required.
2. A significant expansion of the existing program could occur soon if the SJRWMD's request to the City is implemented. It would require permits for all wells less than 6 inches in diameter drilled in the City. This level of permitting is now being performed by all Counties adjacent to the City except for Baker County.
WELLHEAD PROTECTION
This program is described in Chapter 366.601 and the following sections of the City Ordinance Code. It has not been fully implemented but will impact those commercial property owners or lessee located within an approximate 750 feet radius of a regulated public water supply well. Home owners having a Floridan Aquifer well within the regulated area are also impacted by some of its requirements. Permit, review or exemption fees will be required for five different categories of persons that are located within the approximately 200 areas covered by this program. The program primarily impacts those using regulated substances defined by the program.