When your drinking water source comes from underground, wellhead protection is critical to keep the water supply clean. A wellhead protection area is the surface and subsurface surrounding a water well or wellfield, where contaminants could move toward and them.
An US Congressional amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1986 now requires states to develop and obtain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for wellhead protection programs. Spills or leaks in the Wellhead Protection Zone could contaminate the public water supply and subject the owner/operator of the facility to heavy fines, the cost of groundwater cleanup, additional treatment, and monitoring for the water system.
After the passage of the federal law, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) created Tenn. Division of Water Resources Rule 0400-45-01-.34 (on page 212) that require public water systems to delineate the wellhead capture zone, catalog any potential contaminant source in that zone, and ensure there is a spill response notification and contingency planning. TDEC has a webpage explaining WHPP's and Table 1 outlines the potential sources of groundwater pollution.
In regards to implementing the Wellhead Protection Plans (WHPP), these required reports recommend developing a Wellhead Protection Overlay District in local Zoning Regulations. Overlay Districts are a proactive strategy to reduce the potential for spills or other harmful activities to contaminate the public water supply. It is a cost effective approach to reduce the likelihood that an owner/operator of the facility could be subject to heavy fines and the cost of groundwater cleanup, OR that the publicly-owned water system has to pay the cost of remediation and well replacement.
Here are the local Overlay Districts in Shelby County, TN:
