By the time you're operating at the Class B level, source water isn't just something that shows up at the intake — it's something you're expected to actively manage: knowing whether a well legally counts as surface water, building a protection plan for the land around your source, sizing and tuning a presedimentation basin, and defending your intake design against both sediment loading and environmental permitting requirements. This guide covers the technical judgment calls that separate routine operation from system optimization.
GWUDI Determination: Criteria and Significance
"Groundwater under the direct influence of surface water" (GWUDI) is a formal regulatory classification, not a judgment call an operator makes casually. Under 40 CFR §141.2, GWUDI is defined as any water beneath the ground surface that shows significant occurrence of insects or other macroorganisms, algae, or