Board sustains denial of private potable well permit for Sunset View Estates lot

The McPherson County Board of Health on Sept. 14 upheld an administrative denial of a private household potable water well permit for 1319 West View Lane in Sunset View Estates, confirming the hearing officer's recommendation in appeal case SA2026080101.

At the hearing, appellant Samantha Robinson, who said she and her husband are building a home in the subdivision, told commissioners she preferred a private well and provided examples of other nearby wells approved for residential use. Robinson said drilling a well would cost “$11,000” and contrasted that with what she described as a city meter rental of “$70” per month capped at 10,000 gallons, which she said is insufficient for irrigation and household needs. She asked the board to reverse the county's denial so construction could proceed without further delay.

County staff and commissioners explained the subdivision's exterritorial (ETJ) rules and the planning commission's prior action. County counsel and the hearing officer had found the property "can be served at a reasonable cost by a public water supply" under the McPherson County Sanitation Code (section 3‑5.3(a)), and the denial cited reasonable cost and a stated public‑health rationale. Speaker 4 moved to accept the hearing officer's report and issue an order confirming and sustaining the administrative denial; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

The order the board adopted noted it would not resolve private covenant disputes or the validity of any city subdivision approval and said the applicant remains eligible to file a separate application limited to an irrigation‑only or lawn‑garden well under applicable county and state requirements. The board recorded the action as final for the administrative appeal on Sept. 14.

What happens next: the order sustains the denial on the record; the applicant may pursue a separate application for an irrigation‑only well or seek other remedies outside the county permitting decision.