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Development services previews Title 15 well-code rewrite; proposes new regulation for on-site wells and hydrogeologist review
Summary
Development services told the committee Title 15 changes — under review for introduction to the assembly — would expand municipal oversight of nonpublic wells, adopt state separation requirements for wells and stormwater, remove a mandatory household water-storage rule, and add a staged hydrogeologic study requirement for new subdivisions.
Curtis Townsend of Development Services told the Community and Economic Development Committee on Feb. 6 that the Municipality will present a Title 15 rewrite to the assembly next week that updates the on‑site water and well code.
Townsend said the rewrite began in 2019, picked up again in late 2023, and was developed with an industry advisory committee and legal review. Key changes he described include: (1) expanding municipal regulation to cover certain nonpublic wells (those serving multiple units up to the state’s public‑well threshold); (2) adopting the state’s separation requirement between wells and stormwater infrastructure; (3) removing a blanket municipal requirement for household water storage while keeping standards for storage systems; and (4) reinstating a process for assessing aquifer capacity for new subdivisions.
Why it matters: The proposed changes shift some well oversight to municipal regulation for systems that historically fell outside state regulation, and they respond to industry and public concerns about water supply reliability on the hillside and other areas served by private on‑site systems.
Townsend said the state revised its water regulations during the municipal rewrite, prompting the inclusion of the state’s new separation rule (Townsend stated a 100‑foot separation requirement was included in the state update and mirrored in the municipal draft). He also said the code will create a municipal definition for nonpublic water wells (those serving fewer than the state threshold for public wells) and will leave the amount of household water storage to owners rather than requiring a specific storage amount.
Committee discussion focused on the cost and scope of requiring aquifer evaluation. Daniel King, engineering services manager, said the draft replaces an automatic aquifer test requirement with a staged approach: a hydrogeologist’s site evaluation (a study) would determine whether a full aquifer (24–48 hour) test is needed. King told the committee an aquifer test can cost "$50,000 to $100,000," while the hydrogeologist evaluation would be substantially cheaper (King estimated the study could be "maybe $10,000 or less" depending on the site).
Townsend said the department met with the Anchorage Home Builders Association and incorporated their feedback; AHBA had raised concerns about the cost implications of requiring full aquifer tests for small subdivisions. Under the working approach described by staff, a hydrogeologist would review historical data and surrounding wells and recommend if a formal aquifer test is warranted.
No assembly action occurred; staff said the item is being introduced to the assembly in the coming week and that staff anticipated supplemental language to respond to industry comments.
Ending: Development Services and Engineering staff said the rewrite aims to balance water‑supply protections with practical costs for developers; the assembly will consider the ordinance and any supplements in its next meeting cycle.
