THE VILLAGE of Bellaire recently adopted legislation establishing its own Source Water Protection Area around its water treatment plant. Shown here is the city of Martins Ferry’s signage warning people about its Source Water Protection Area.

BELLAIRE — The village of Bellaire now has a Source Water Protection Area aimed at protecting its source of drinking water.

The goal of the protection area is to prevent contamination of its wells that draw water from the Ohio River. The ordinance allows the village to deny the construction of any business or plant that may threaten the safety of its water source.

Councilman Mike Doyle said the legislation, which was approved during council’s Oct. 14 meeting, was suggested by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials.

“The EPA got a hold of us first and said they would like to see it happen. I assume they will continue down the river,” Doyle said, referring to other villages such as Shadyside and Powhatan.

Doyle said if a new business that might need a possible variance to open within the area’s one- or five-year protection area would first have to contact OEPA and then the village.

“This is protection for our water source. We have deep wells that pull from the river,” he said.

Doyle noted one of the village’s wells was contaminated by chemicals from a former dry cleaner. Officials believe years ago the dry cleaner was dumping old chemicals down its drains. The source of the contamination was traced back to this business that operated within the village. The village was forced to shut down the contaminated well and has not been able to use it since. However, with its new air stripper project the village will be able to remove those chemicals and use the well once again.

“We’re trying to be proactive for the people” Doyle said. “Our intention is not to hamper any business, it’s to protect our water source.”

Doyle noted the East Ohio Regional Water Authority also was an advocate of the legislation.

“The purpose of the Source Water Protection Area is to protect public health and safety minimizing contamination of shallow surficial aquifers and preserving and protecting existing and potential sources of drinking water supplies,” the legislation notes.

The source area is made up of two zones with each zone considered more vulnerable than the other. For example, Zone 1 is the Drinking Water Critical Impact Zone.

“Zone 1 is defined as the area within a 1-year time-of-travel distance mapped around all the public water supply wells. This zone typically constitutes the area within about 1,000 feet of a public water supply well,” according to the ordinance.

Time of travel is defined as “the distance that groundwater will travel in a specified time. This distance is generally a function of the permeability and slope of the aquifer.”

Encouraged uses in Zone 1 include parks and recreational areas such as bike or walking paths or bridges, construction of facilities related to the drinking water supply and wildlife conservation area efforts.

Some prohibited uses include: car repair shops, gas stations, truck terminals, dry cleaners, electronics manufacturing plants, machine shops, metal plating facilities, chemical processing or storage, wood preserving or treating facilities, junk or scrap yards, mines or gravel pits, irrigated nursery or greenhouse stock, confined animal feeding operations, land divisions resulting in high density, equipment maintenance or fueling areas, injection wells, dry wells or sumps except for single family homes directing a gutter to a dry well, underground storage tanks, and all other facilities involving the collection, handling, manufacture, use, storage, transfer or disposal or any solid or liquid material or waste having a potentially harmful impact on groundwater quality.

Zone 2 is the Drinking Water Potential Impact Zone. It is the remainder of the Source Water Protection Area not in Zone 1. Zone 2 is considered the 5-year time of travel zone.

The legislation includes several performance standards that facilities must abide by if located within the Source Water Protection Area.

For example, permitted facilities must have acceptable contingency plans to be prepared for “preventing hazardous materials from contaminating the shallow/surficial aquifer should floods, fire or other natural catastrophes, equipment failure or releases occur.”

Village Council’s next regular meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday.