Drinking Water Program

To protect public health and safety, Environmental Health Specialists perform inspections, issue permits and review sample results for small drinking water systems in Ventura County. Staff work to ensure compliance with the State Plumbing Code, Health and Safety Code and Safe Drinking Water Act.
The Drinking Water Program oversees the regulation of the following water systems:

• Individual Water Systems (1 to 4 service connections)
• State Small Water Systems (5 to 14 service connections)

Individual water systems are a one-time review and inspection. State Small systems require an annual permit to operate and are inspected for construction and maintenance purposes. State Small water systems are also required to submit bacteriological and chemical water analyses for water quality monitoring.

Individual Water Systems- 1 to 4 service connections
Individual water supplies must submit a Certification of Water Quality application along with appropriate fees as established by the County Board of Supervisors.  The Certification of Water Quality application must contain the following water quality analyses and attachments:

1. Bacteriological analysis
2. Inorganic chemical analysis
3. Radiological analysis
4. Specific conductance analysis
5. A plot plan, drawn to scale, identifying the water well, all water lines, water tanks, all structures, septic systems, animal pens, etc
6. If the water well is shared, a shared water well agreement which must be recorded.
7. A water well pump test report.  In addition, a water well Driller’s Report or Well Log.

It is important to note that certified water samplers must collect the water samples.  In addition, the water quality results must be sampled less than one year from the time of submittal.

An original Certification of Water Quality application must be submitted which can be picked up at EHD’s front counter or can be mailed to the applicant.  Click here to view a copy of the Certification of Water Quality application for reference only.

State Small Water Systems- 5 to 14 service connections
The California Health and Safety Code Section 116275 (n) defines a state small water system as: “a system for the provision of piped water to the public for human consumption that serves at least five, but not more than 14, service connections and does not regularly serve drinking water to more than an average of 25 individuals daily for more than 60 days out of the year.”

The regulation of a state small water system requires permitting from EHD and continuous monitoring and inspecting.

The state laws and regulations which govern the operation, maintenance and monitoring of state small water systems are found in the California Health and Safety Code Section 116270 and in the California Code of Regulations Title 22.

For state small water systems currently under active permit with EHD, the following attachments may be used for public notification of water users.

Larger water systems -15 or more service connections

For information on larger water systems (systems that have fifteen or more service connections or regularly serves at least 25 individuals daily at least 60 days out of the year), including public water systems throughout Ventura County, please contact:

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
1180 EUGENIA PLACE, SUITE 200
CARPENTERIA, CA 93013
805/ 566-1326

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DWP.aspx

Useful links: