WoldWide Drilling Resource

Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., P.G. Monitor Wells - A Different Type of Well I suspect most people reading this article are interested in “supply” type wells, which provide a re- quired minimum pumping rate (gallons per minute) at a water quality suitable for human consumption. Most of my articles in WWDR focus on how we drill and develop water wells to obtain the best quality drinking water at pumping rates sufficient to meet our needs 100% of the time. The theme for this month’s WWDR issue is water well supplies and remediation. This article will focus on wells used for remediation, or specifically, monitor wells (MWs). MWs are designed and built to sample groundwater in a specific zone or level in the subsurface. Monitor wells are usually two inches in diameter or less, and typically have a short screen (2-10 feet in length). Construction of an MW requires great care to ensure contamination is not allowed to be introduced (oil, grease, fuels, metals, etc.), which would affect the parameters or compounds to be analyzed as part of the monitored program for the particular site. Monitoring wells became popular in the mid-1970s when the Environmental Protection Agency required a minimum of four MWs to monitor shallow groundwater quality around pits, ponds, and lagoons. MWs were also installed to monitor shallow water quality around buried petroleum storage tanks. MWs have been responsible for the founding of hundreds of new drilling firms specializing in this type of well. MWs typically have very low yields, often less than one gallon per minute. The frequency of well sampling can vary greatly from dai ly to quarterly (three months). Usually, some specified amount of water is removed from the well before a sample is obtained (often 2-4 well vol- umes). During the construction of MWs, well development is very important - not so much to increase wel l yield, but to remove as much turbidity (such as sus- pended particles of silts and clays) than can affect the laboratory results, partic- ularly dissolved metals. Tom Tom Kwader may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com ENV 26 JULY 2019 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® A Personal Municipality for the Home Adapted from Information by Better Water Industries, Inc. Ice makers, dishwashers, washers, water heaters, and every faucet in the house are affected by water quality. By increasing water quality, maintenance costs can be reduced on all appliances which utilize water. The Sentry I Open-Air Air Stripper System provides superior water quality by combining powerful aeration with chlorination. The system maximizes the reduction of volatile organic compounds or radon from drinking water by utilizing a ½-horsepower regenerative blower. The negative pressure design, which is the Environmental Protection Agency’s suggested configuration, delivers the safest remediation of these contaminants. Every Sentry I Open-Air System has three floats, one mechanical safety overflow, one electrical low-level shutdown, and one electrical water level maintaining float. While the unit fills, the desired amount of chlorine is dispensed by the chlorinator, and the blower evacu- ates contaminants from the unit. The chlorine sanitizes the water and finishes the oxidation process, getting rid of odors and killing bacteria. The water flows into the bottom of the first chamber, then flows over into the second chamber where the submersible pump pressurizes the water to the home. This system is often described as a personal municipality for the home, providing 24-7 protection. It comes complete with the chlorinator, bypass, bladder tank, pump, regenerative blower, and is prewired for easy installation. WTR