Well Construction

Well Construction and Location Approval

Construction of public drinking water wells requires permits from both FDOH-Hillsborough County and Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). A well site inspection and approval of the well location by the FDOH-Hillsborough County Drinking Water Program is required before a permit to drill a public supply well will be issued by the SWFWMD. Please contact us to schedule a pre-construction site inspection prior to drilling a public drinking water well. The pre-construction inspection must be performed to verify the proposed well location will meet setback requirements.

Construction or alteration of public water treatment systems require permitting through the FDOH–Hillsborough County Drinking Water Program.

A Public Supply Well Information and Classification Form must be submitted with the $150 fee prior to a well site inspection

Steps for well site approval and permitting for public supply wells regulated under Florida Administrative Code 62-550 and 62-555

Community water system : a public water system which serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

Non-Transient Non-Community Water System: a public water system that regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons over 6 months per year: i.e.. daycare, school

Transient Non-Community Water System:  a public water system that that does not regularly serve at least 25 of the same persons over six months per year, but serves 25 different people at least 60 days out of the year, i.e.. convenience store, church

1. Approval of the well drilling permits from the Southwest Florida Water Management District and a well site inspection by this office is required before the well is drilled or an existing well is reclassified as a public supply well.  Prior to the well site a $150.00 site fee, made out to HCHD, a copy of the septic permit issued, if applicable, along with four sets of the site plan (drawn to scale, at least 8.5” x 11 and signed and sealed by a professional engineer) including the following, must be submitted to our office:

• #  and size of connections
• location of contaminant sources (septic tanks, underground storage tanks, retention ponds, surface water etc.) within a 200’ radius, see attached Table of required setbacks
• sewer lines and water distribution lines
• irrigation systems (if any)
• fire tanks and any other systems well will supply water to
• ownership by the water supplier of all land within 100 feet of the well is required for wells connected to community water systems.

2. The well will not be approved for use unless the required one hundred feet (100') distance from all pollution sources and 200 feet (200') from any newly installed, on-site septic tank and/or drainfield with greater than 2,000 gallon per day flow is met unless a variance has been granted.  For a wastewater treatment plant a 500’ distance is required.

3. Applications [DEP Form 62-555.910(1), Application to Construct Public Drinking Water System (copy enclosed)] and engineering drawings shall be submitted to this office with appropriate review fees.  You must have a permit issued through our department prior to constructing the water plant or water distribution system or placing the well into service.       The following items must be included with the well permit application:

• Prior to sampling the well shall be disinfected to inactivate any microbiological contaminant that may have been introduced during construction.  After pumping the well to waste to remove all the residual chlorine, ten (10) consecutive satisfactory water samples must be obtained and analyzed for total residual chlorine, total coliform and E. coli before the well is released for service.  The samples must be taken on separate but consecutive workdays, at least six hours apart and the well must be pumped to waste for at least 15 minutes before each sample is collected.  In no case is the daily collection of more than two samples six hours apart acceptable
• A satisfactory chemical analysis of the raw (untreated) water from the well :
  • Community Water Systems:  primary inorganics, synthetic organic contaminants, volatile organics, gross alpha, Radium 226 and Radium 228, uranium and secondary contaminants.  Asbestos and Dioxin monitoring is not required.  Note that composite samples are not acceptable for permitting purposes.  [Rules 62‑555.500, .520, and .530, F.A.C.]  A Florida State Certified Laboratory must perform the analysis.  You must include in the preliminary design report or design data accompanying the permit application, results for alkalinity, dissolved iron, dissolved oxygen, pH, total sulfide and turbidity in at least one raw water sample from the new well.  The authorized representative of the supplier of water or applicant must perform the tests.  If the result for total sulfide equals or exceeds 0.3 mg/l you must provide aeration or other appropriate treatment to remove the total sulfide and a water quality and treatment evaluation demonstrating that the secondary maximum contaminant levels for color and odor will not be exceeded in the distribution system or in the customers’ potable water systems.
  • Non-Transient Non-Community Water System: primary inorganics, synthetic organic contaminants, volatile organics.  Asbestos, Radiological (until 2016) and Dioxin monitoring is not required.  Note that composite samples are not acceptable for permitting purposes.  [Rules 62‑555.500, .520, and .530, F.A.C.]  The analyses must be performed by a Florida State Certified Laboratory.
  • Transient Non-Community Water System: Nitrate and Nitrite from the raw wells. The analyses must be performed by a Florida State Certified Laboratory.

• All drawings, specifications, and information required with applications shall be prepared and sealed by an Engineer licensed in the State under the provisions of Chapter 471, Florida Statutes.

• Community and Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems :You are required to submit a completed Capacity Development Financial and Managerial Form before a permit may be issued.

4. A minimum 6' X 6' concrete pad shall be installed around the well casing with the well centered in the pad and the casing extending at least twelve inches (12") above grade.

5. The system shall be equipped with a totalizing flow meter that will permit determination of flow.

6. The well, pump, and treatment equipment, shall be protected by adequate housing and fencing to provide protection from weather, tampering, and vandalism.

7. A conveniently accessible, raw water sampling tap, positioned a minimum distance of twelve inches (12") above ground surface and turned down, shall be provided on the pressurized side of an above ground check valve.

8. Additional water treatment facilities may be required.  See Florida Administrative Code 62-555 for the permitting and construction of public water systems.

9. The EHS of the DOH-Hillsborough County shall be notified when the installation of the water system has been completed and the distribution lines cleared bacteriologically.  Distribution system clearing consists of one (1) satisfactory bacteriological sample analysis for two (2) consecutive days and a letter from the EHS to the Hillsborough County Building Department releasing the water system for use.

10. There may be county, municipal, or other regulations or restrictions to be complied with by the owner prior to construction of this facility.  We recommend that appropriate local agencies be consulted before beginning construction.

To schedule a well site, please contact Melinda Swindle at (813) 559-4388.

For information on completing the Application to Construct a Public Drinking Water system form, please contact Noel Corson, PE at (813) 559-4244.