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HomeWater CodeDiv. 7Ch. 10Art. 1§ 13701 Well Contamination Prevention

§ 13701 Well Contamination Prevention

Water Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 13701 Well Contamination Prevention

Key Takeaways

  • •Old or broken wells can let dirty water from the surface get into clean water underground.
  • •Bad wells can also mix bad underground water with good underground water, making it dirty.
  • •Dirty underground water can make people sick and cause money problems for the state.

Example

A farmer has an old well on their property that they stopped using years ago.

If the well is not properly sealed, rainwater or dirty water from the surface can flow down into the well and pollute the clean water underground. This can make the water unsafe to drink for the farmer and their neighbors.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 13701 Well Contamination Prevention

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Improperly constructed and abandoned water wells, cathodic protection wells, groundwater monitoring wells, and geothermal heat exchange wells can allow contaminated water on the surface to flow down the well casing, thereby contaminating the usable groundwater. (b) Improperly constructed and abandoned water wells, cathodic protection wells, groundwater monitoring wells, and geothermal heat exchange wells can allow unusable or low quality groundwater from one groundwater level to flow along the well casing to usable groundwater levels, thereby contaminating the usable groundwater. (c) Contamination of groundwater poses serious public health and economic problems for many areas of the state. (Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 581, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

water wellscathodic protection wellsgroundwater monitoring wellsgeothermal heat exchange wellscontamination of groundwaterpublic health and economic problems

Related Statutes

  • § 13700 Underground Water Well Regulation
  • § 11900 Fish And Wildlife Protection
  • § 11901 Water Project Conservation Funding
  • § 6455 Pre-1965 Dam Approval Requirement
  • § 6456 Dam Application Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Water Code. Section 13701.
View Official Source