Business owner Jeff Florey urges Baldwin City to allow regulated commercial wells

Jeff Florey, owner of Baldwin Powerwash, told the council he has submitted a briefing packet asking Baldwin City to adopt a ‘‘managed framework for regulated commercial water wells’’ that would allow high-volume businesses to drill private wells while imposing strict cross-connection controls and annual backflow testing.

"By allowing high volume entities to responsibly drill private wells, we shift capital infrastructure burdens onto the private sector," Florey said, and he pointed to state-level reviews, noting the Kansas Department of Agriculture had issued a water allocation and permit for his site and that his business already has a 25 kilowatt rooftop solar system to pair with a localized water loop (SEG 032–039; SEG 080–084; SEG 116–121). Florey also said his packet mandates physical separation of plumbing loops, testable mechanical backflow preventers at meters, and compliance with KDHE Article 30 standards (SEG 096–106).

Council members did not vote on the proposal. Instead they asked that the idea be reviewed more formally by relevant departments and committees. One councilor suggested Public Works, Budget & Finance, and Planning examine the pros and cons before any ordinance is drafted; Florey said he did not expect action that night and that he had provided material for review (SEG 155–166; SEG 173–183).

The packet and the council’s request for departmental review are the next steps on the record: Florey asked the council to consider directing the planning department to begin drafting a managed-commercial-well ordinance, and councilors said they would evaluate the proposal through the appropriate staff and committee channels before taking action (SEG 131–135; SEG 155–166).