Learn About The Law
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
1. Any municipality or person may nominate a special groundwater protection area within a federally designated sole source aquifer contained within counties having a population of one million or more.
2. Such a nomination petition shall be sent to the commissioner and shall include the following information:
(a) whether the special groundwater protection area is a recharge zone for groundwater with a present or future water supply potential;
(b) whether the special groundwater protection area is largely undeveloped with tracts of natural vegetation, or natural geological conditions;
(c) whether the groundwater which is recharged through the special groundwater protection area is of high quality;
(d) whether the hydrogeologic conditions are such that development could lead to degradation of water quality;
(e) whether portions of the groundwater within the sole source aquifer area are already contaminated with toxic organics, nutrients, salts or other pollutants so as to warrant special protection for areas which recharge high quality groundwater;
(f) whether maintenance of existing high quality in the groundwater recharged through the special groundwater protection area would have significant economic, social, ecological, recreational or aesthetic benefits for the sole source aquifer area; and
(g) whether degradation of such groundwater would have significant economic, social, ecological, recreational and aesthetic costs for the area.
3. The nomination petition shall also identify:
(a) the preliminary boundaries of the special groundwater protection area or areas;
(b) a brief outline of the plan of work;
(c) a tentative membership list for any advisory committees; and
(d) a reasonable budget request for the project.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - New York Consolidated Laws, Environmental Conservation Law - ENV § 55-0109. Special groundwater protection areas; nomination - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/environmental-conservation-law/env-sect-55-0109/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)