WorldWide Drilling Resource

WorldWide Drilling Resource ® 12 DECEMBER 2016 RE: Thomas Kwader Article [ Advantages of Private Wells Over City Municipal Well Systems , page 55, November 2016 WWDR ] I, like Tom, am not real happy with municipalities/states/or federal agencies trimming back on our rights or freedoms. However, there is an important point or two I think Tom should consider for his discussion about private water supply wells in urban & suburban areas. As Tom noted, many of these wells were not properly grouted, and as a result, allow for contamination of the local aquifer. This is very often true, and a real problem. In the small town where I live, and many other towns and cities, in-home wells were actually installed in basements. These wells are often many years old (1930s-1950s) and many current homeowners don’t even know these wells exist. They are often covered with a box or can. These wells not only offer a pathway for contamination into the aquifer, but also a pathway for vapor intrusion into the home. So if there is/was an old gas station on the corner across the street (or a dry cleaner with PCE dry cleaning fluid) with the normal soil and groundwater contamination with gasoline, the vapors from the contamination plume can travel up the well annulus into a home. Under bad conditions gasoline vapors can lead to explosions due to buildup of the vapors in the basement. The home heating unit comes on or the hot water heater kicks on and . . . BOOM! . . . the vapors are ignited. This has happened. Less dramatic, but still of real concern, is the lower concentration of gasoline or PCE vapors coming up these old wells. It can lead to exposure to carcinogens (benzene in gasoline or PCE from old dry cleaning fluid, etc.), sometimes at significant levels over many years. Again, vapors enter the basement, the heating or cooling unit kicks on, and air from the basement with benzene or PCE is now circulated through the home for the entire family to breath. Vapor Intrusion. The other problem we have experienced locally (here in Salina, Kansas) is the inappropriate use of water during drought. The city has put out a water rationing requirement several times over the last years during a significant period of drought with require- ments to water your lawn or garden only two days a week or you are subject to fines. However, the citizens with their little private lawn and garden wells continue to water their yards or gardens, saying they are not on the municipal water system so are not restricted. What they do not understand is the wells they are pumping draw water from the same aquifer which supplies everyone in the city. So, there are hundreds of people in the city with these small private wells happily pumping away to water their grass while continuing to deplete the aquifer which everyone in the city depends on. It took some time, but the city finally got this cleared up. So, the local or state regulations about these private wells within the city limits or associated suburban areas is not all about “big government taking away your freedoms”. Often, there are valid reasons these local ordinances or state regulations are put in place . . . to protect us from ourselves . . . many times. Just trying to help . . . Wesley McCall Engr DI Group - Geologist Geoprobe Systems ® Tom Kwader reply: Wes, Thanks for taking time to respond on this important topic. I absolutely agree with your comments. Private well owners have certain rights, and they also have responsibilities to water resources that are shared by everyone, especially when they are withdrawing from an aquifer which is shared by the public at large. I have a few other thoughts I realize I have left out of the article. 1) All private water wells used for drinking sources should be tested every year or two for primary drink- ing water compounds of concern (CoCs). I know of at least a half dozen private wells which were tested, and several compounds of concern above MCLs were found at dangerous levels. 2) All drinking water wells should have the cas- ings grouted to the top of the producing zone. This would prevent contamination from entering the well from surface sources, and also prevent vapors from accumulating in lower living spaces of the house where the well is located. I know of one case where methane vapors accumulated and the pressure tank contacts ignited the methane and blew the walls off the house. Wes, thanks for the letter and thank you for all the good work you've done at Geoprobe ® . I think you guys are great. Tell Tom Christy “Hello”, and I really appreciate and admire all your innovations. Tom Reader’s Response