WorldWide Drilling Resource

19 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JANUARY 2015 Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., P.G. Protecting the Top of the Well Many of us - well drilling contractors or scientists - are often involved with the decision of where a well is to be located. Careful consideration should be given to a well’s location, including potential sources of contamination - such as septic tanks, chemical storage, fuel tanks, etc. Wells should generally be located upgradient and in topographi- cally high areas where runoff or flooding cannot enter a well. The well casing should “stick up” a few feet above land surface to ensure runoff will not enter a well. In situations where a well must be put below land surface, in a vault or parking lot with a drivable cover, the well should have a watertight well seal to prevent leakage into the wel l . The t o p o f t h e w e l l should be sl ightly elevated to “deflect” runoff away from the vault. We, as contrac- tors, should protect all open wells. If we leave the borehole at the end of the day, we need to place something heavy over the top of the we l l . I f we pu l l a pump, we should cap the well with a locking or secure cover. You may even consider attaching your name and con- tact information, which could lead to busi- ness in the future. After completion of the well [it’s ready for use], the top of the casing should be properly capped to prevent vandalism or accidental contamination. Expandable well plugs or threaded caps tightened with a wrench should be installed to protect the well. For some reason, kids of all ages have an attraction for open wells and will often drop rocks or debris in the well, and even try to fill the well with whatever materials are nearby that will fit into the well. Another reason for protecting the top of the well is to protect the aquifer. If even a small amount of the wrong chemical(s) were to enter the well, it could contaminate the aquifer over a large area for many years to come, and remediating the aquifer could cost tens of thousands of dollars to cleanup. An ounce of prevention is worth much more than a pound of cure when it comes to protecting the top of the well. Tom Tom Kwader may be contacted via e-mail at michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Focus on Mount a i n S t a t es There’s no gamble. The 26 th M o u n t a i n States Ground Water Expo, on February12-13, is a sure win! It will once again be staged at the Aquarius Casino Resort, in Laughlin, Nevada. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. Seminars follow, beginning at 8:00. During the two-day event, you can earn continuing education units with dis- cussions on stabilizing boreholes, dispos- ing of spent drilling fluids, chemicals used in well rehabilitation, legislative updates, and much more. The exhibitor hospitality meet and greet in the exhibit hall is from 4:00- 6:00 p.m., followed by the Buck Lively Scholarship Auction and Raffle. Look for WWDR there. Don’t miss the oppor- tunity for fun and goodies! Plus, you can network with fellow drilling contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, consultants, groundwater officials, and service com- pany professionals. Friday begins at 8:00 a.m. with more speaker presen- tations. The trade show exhibits open at 9:00 a.m. You can tour the many displays and have lunch at the same time. How conven- ient! And don’t for- get there are plenty of outside displays as well. For more information, visit mountainstatesgroundwater.com or call 480-609-3999. Well-Vu’s display was lit up with Ray & Lyn during the 25 th Expo. Photo by WWDR .