N.H. Code Admin. R. Env-Ws 387.02

Current through Register No. 25, June 20, 2024
Section Env-Ws 387.02 - Definitions

(a) "Available water" means the arithmetic difference between water supply and demand.

(b) "Bottled water" means water that is placed in a sealed container or packaged and is offered for sale for human consumption or other consumer uses as defined in He-P 2100.

(c) "Community water system" means "community water system" as defined in RSA 485:1-a, I, namely "a public water system which services at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents."

(d) "Cone of depression" means a depression in the potentiometric surface of a body of groundwater that has the general shape of an inverted cone and develops around a well from which water is being withdrawn.

(e) "Department" means the department of environmental services.

(f) "Downgradient area" means the area where water taken by the withdrawal would flow if the withdrawal did not operate.

(g) "Groundwater" means "groundwater" as defined in RSA 485:C:2, VIII namely, "subsurface water that occurs beneath the water table in soil and geologic formations."

(h) "High use area" means an area providing water to a new withdrawal which is identified through hydrologic assessment as an area where demand exceeds 70% of available water.

(i) "Hydrologic cycle" means the pathways along which water moves through the environment.

(j) "Hydrology" means the science of the occurrence, circulation, distribution and properties of the waters of the earth and reaction with the environment.

(k) "Large withdrawal" means any seasonal or year-long withdrawal from a wellhead installed after July 1998, not associated with a temporary, short term use such as contaminated site management or construction de-watering, where the maximum 24-hour withdrawal is 57,600 gallons or more.

(l) "Permitted withdrawal" means a large withdrawal permitted under these rules.

(m) "Potentiometric surface" means the surface where groundwater pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure.

(n) "Public water system" means "public water system" as defined by RSA 485: 1-a, XV, namely "a system for the provision to the public of piped water for human consumption, if such systems have at least fifteen service connections or regularly serves an average of at least twenty-five individuals daily at least 60 days of the year."

(o) "Recharge area" means the land surface from which water reaching a location or region originates.

(p) "Registered water user" means any water user who is required to register and report water usage in accordance with Env-Wr 700, that is, all withdrawals over 20,000 gallons per day for any purpose.

(q) "Replacement well" means a new source installed to replace an existing source that operates and impacts water resources in the same manner as the well that is being replaced.

(r) "Short term use" means the one time occurrence of a withdrawal at a specific geographical location over a period of one year or less, except for contaminated site remediation, where the duration of the withdrawal extends for the time necessary to complete the objectives of the remediation.

(s) "Surface water" means "surface waters of the state" as defined in RSA 485-A:2 and waters of the United States as defined in 40 CFR 122.2.

(t) "Water related natural resource" means a natural resource that is dependent on water.

(u) "Well" means "well" as defined in RSA 485-C:2, XVII, namely "a hole or shaft sunk into the earth to observe, sample, or withdraw groundwater."

(v) "Wellhead" means the conveyance or conveyances through which and location where groundwater reaches the land surface such as the well casing, wellfield collector, or spring collection box.

(w) "Withdrawal" means removal of groundwater for any purpose.

N.H. Code Admin. R. Env-Ws 387.02

#7490, eff 5-12-01; ss by #9459, INTERIM, eff 5-12-09, EXPIRED: 11-9-09