In California, what is the required minimum horizontal distance between a private sewage disposal system absorption field and a water well according to the California Plumbing Code?
Correct Answer
C) 100 feet
California Plumbing Code Section 1602.3 requires a minimum 100-foot separation between absorption fields and water wells. This California-specific requirement is more stringent than many other states due to groundwater protection concerns and seismic activity that could affect soil conditions and contamination pathways.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
California Plumbing Code Section 1602.3 requires a minimum horizontal separation of 100 feet between a septic system absorption field and a water well. This setback protects groundwater from biological and chemical contamination that can migrate through soil from leach fields. California's requirement is more stringent than many other states due to groundwater protection priorities, high population density in rural areas, and seismic soil disturbance concerns.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 150 feet
150 feet is more than the required minimum and is not the code-specified distance. While greater separation would provide more protection, the California Plumbing Code sets 100 feet as the standard. Choosing 150 feet reflects an overestimate of the requirement.
Option B: 75 feet
75 feet is less than the required 100-foot minimum and would not provide adequate protection against groundwater contamination. This distance may appear in other states' codes or older California standards but does not reflect current CPC Section 1602.3.
Option D: 50 feet
50 feet is far too short a separation distance for a well and absorption field. At 50 feet, the risk of bacterial, viral, or nitrate contamination of the drinking water supply would be very high. This answer tests whether candidates know that California's standard is more stringent than a short setback.
Memory Technique
Well + Absorption Field = 100 feet in California. Think: a football field is 100 yards — but for wells and septic, it's 100 FEET of separation. 'Keep the sewage a full 100 feet from your water.' The number 100 is the key here — it's clean and round.
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