19 NOVEMBER 2022 WorldWide Drilling Resource® www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 SERVING THE WATER WELL INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry Groundwater Week Booth 1001 Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., P.G. Owner, Qwater Well Developer and WorldWide Drilling Resource® Hydrogeologist Drinking Water Test Wells - When Are They Worth It? Even a small 2- or 4-inch test well can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, so when should we consider drilling a test well rather than drilling the final well for a potable system? Possible answers include: 1) How much is known about the subsurface hydrogeology - location of water-bearing zones, confining units, etc. 2) How much groundwater is available to meet the water supply needs - 2, 5, 10, 20, or 50 gallons per minute? 3) What is the quality of the water? Does the water have a pleasant taste, or does it have an iron taste, sulfur smell, or even a slightly sewer or septic smell? 4) What is the history of the property? Is it undeveloped and natural in appearance, or is there evidence of buildings, tanks, sumps, and/or piping indicating an unknown history? 5) Does the soil have an organic odor or discoloration not natural for the site? If so, you may want to obtain some soil and water samples for screening for organics and inorganic compound. Some of the testing can be expensive depending on the detection levels and specificity of the types of compounds requested; however, screening levels are often reasonable in cost and may be “well” worth knowing the actual compounds and contamination. Prior to running out and ordering a number of costly screening tests - do your homework. Look around the site and try to determine the history of the site. Is it obviously undeveloped? Does a title search indicate prior ownership which could indicate prior activities of concern such as a gas station, dry cleaner, landfill, etc.? If the site appears to be pristine and in its natural state, the next step may be to obtain some downgradient soil and groundwater samples, and screen or test for organic and inorganic compounds. These site investigations can be conducted by a local soil/environmental firm for a reasonable cost and be well worth the time and expense PRIOR to drilling a costly permitted well. Tom Tom Kwader may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com ENV
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