How to Properly Maintain How to Properly Maintain Your Water Well - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to Properly Maintain How to Properly Maintain Your Water Well and Avoid Your Water Well and Avoid Problems Problems Craig Smith, P.G. Craig Smith, P.G. Trihydro Corporation Trihydro Corporation

Overview - Overview - • Fremont County Water Wells Fremont County Water Wells • Municipal Water Systems Municipal Water Systems • Source of Ground Water Source of Ground Water • Types of Wells Types of Wells • Sources of Contamination Sources of Contamination • Well Water Quality Issues Well Water Quality Issues • Well Performance Issues Well Performance Issues • Maintaining Your Well Maintaining Your Well • Resources Resources

Fremont County Water Wells Fremont County Water Wells • State Engineer has issued*: State Engineer has issued*: – 6,480 Domestic Well Permits 6,480 Domestic Well Permits – 2,740 Stock Well Permits 2,740 Stock Well Permits – 134 Irrigation Permits 134 Irrigation Permits *Ground Water Permits *Ground Water Permits

Municipal Water Systems Municipal Water Systems • Water Quality Water Quality – Municipal Water Sources Municipal Water Sources • Lander Lander – at: at: http://www.landerwyoming.org/pdf/CCR-2006.pdf http://www.landerwyoming.org/pdf/CCR-2006.pdf • Riverton Riverton – at: at: http://www.riverton.wyoming.com/PDF-forms/WaterQualityRep http://www.riverton.wyoming.com/PDF-forms/WaterQualityRep

Municipal Water Systems (cont.) Municipal Water Systems (cont.) • Source Water Assessment and Protect Source Water Assessment and Protect (SWAP) (SWAP) – Program to Protect Public’s Water Supply Program to Protect Public’s Water Supply – Delineates, Inventories, Conducts Delineates, Inventories, Conducts Susceptibility Analysis, and Reports Susceptibility Analysis, and Reports

Source of Ground Water Source of Ground Water Hydrologic Cycle - Hydrologic Cycle -

Types of Wells Types of Wells • Dug Wells Dug Wells – High Risk of Contamination High Risk of Contamination – Typically 10’-30’ Deep Typically 10’-30’ Deep • Driven Wells Driven Wells – Typically 30’-50’ Deep Typically 30’-50’ Deep – Shallow Ground Water Shallow Ground Water – Moderate Risk for Contamination Moderate Risk for Contamination • Drilled Drilled – Typically Drilled 100’- 400’ into Bedrock Typically Drilled 100’- 400’ into Bedrock – Submersible pumps commonly pump water to Surface Submersible pumps commonly pump water to Surface – Low Risk for Contamination from Surface Sources Low Risk for Contamination from Surface Sources

Typical Well Construction Typical Well Construction

Contamination Sources Contamination Sources • Poor Well Construction Poor Well Construction – Dug Wells Dug Wells – Improperly Sealed Wells Improperly Sealed Wells – Height of Casing Height of Casing – Old Casings Old Casings

Contamination Sources (cont.) Contamination Sources (cont.) • Unusually High Ground Water Unusually High Ground Water • Nearby Sources Nearby Sources – Agricultural Operations Agricultural Operations – Commercial and Industrial Commercial and Industrial – Other Potential Sources Other Potential Sources

Well Water Quality Issues Well Water Quality Issues • Physical Physical – Turbidity, Color, Odor Turbidity, Color, Odor – TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) • Solutions Solutions – Ion-Exchange (water softening), Reverse Ion-Exchange (water softening), Reverse osmosis, and Filtration osmosis, and Filtration • Cost Cost – Water Softeners - $1,200 - $2,000 Water Softeners - $1,200 - $2,000 – Reverse Osmosis - $700+ Reverse Osmosis - $700+

Well Water Quality Issues (cont.) Well Water Quality Issues (cont.) • Biological Biological – Pathogenic Microorganisms Pathogenic Microorganisms – Coliform Bacteria Coliform Bacteria • Solutions Solutions – Chlorine Disinfection, Filtration, and Ultraviolet Chlorine Disinfection, Filtration, and Ultraviolet Irradiation Irradiation • Cost Cost – Chlorination - $1,700+ Chlorination - $1,700+ – Ultraviolet Irradiation - $450 - $700 Ultraviolet Irradiation - $450 - $700

Well Water Quality Issues (cont.) Well Water Quality Issues (cont.) • Chemical Chemical – Radon Radon – Hardness and Alkalinity Hardness and Alkalinity – Sulfur Sulfur – Iron and Manganese Iron and Manganese – Arsenic Arsenic – Chloride Chloride – Nitrates Nitrates • Solutions Solutions – Filtration/Oxidation, Water Softening, Reverse Filtration/Oxidation, Water Softening, Reverse Osmosis, Aeration Osmosis, Aeration • Cost Cost – Green Sand Filtration - $1,000 - $1,300 Green Sand Filtration - $1,000 - $1,300

Well Performance Issues Well Performance Issues • Biological Biological – Iron bacteria or Iron Biofouling Iron bacteria or Iron Biofouling • Solutions Solutions – Shock Chlorination, Chelating Acids, Surging, Shock Chlorination, Chelating Acids, Surging, Fully Developing Wells Fully Developing Wells

Well Performance Issues (cont.) Well Performance Issues (cont.) • Plugging of Formation Plugging of Formation – Small Particles Filling Voids Small Particles Filling Voids • Solutions Solutions – Fully Develop Wells, Treat with Chelating Fully Develop Wells, Treat with Chelating Compounds and Dispersion Agents, and Compounds and Dispersion Agents, and Physical Agitation Physical Agitation

Well Performance Issues (cont.) Well Performance Issues (cont.) • Other Issues Other Issues – Sand Pumping, Structural Collapse of Casing, Sand Pumping, Structural Collapse of Casing, and Poor Pump Condition and Poor Pump Condition • Solutions Solutions – Fully Develop Well, Rehabilitate Screen, Fully Develop Well, Rehabilitate Screen, Design Screen with Lower Velocities Design Screen with Lower Velocities • Cost Cost

Maintaining Your Well Maintaining Your Well • Annual Maintenance Check Annual Maintenance Check – Flow and Drawdown test Flow and Drawdown test – General Water Quality General Water Quality – Inspect Well Equipment Inspect Well Equipment – Test for Coliform Bacteria and Nitrates as Well Test for Coliform Bacteria and Nitrates as Well as any Other Local Concerns as any Other Local Concerns

Maintaining Your Well (cont.) Maintaining Your Well (cont.) • Keep Hazardous Chemicals Away Keep Hazardous Chemicals Away • Periodically Check Well Cover Periodically Check Well Cover • Maintain Proper Separation Maintain Proper Separation • Prevent Back Siphonage Prevent Back Siphonage • Be aware of changes on and around Be aware of changes on and around property property

Water Well Resources Water Well Resources • Local Contractors Local Contractors – Require Licensing as of July 1, 2008 Require Licensing as of July 1, 2008 • Licensing Regulated Through Licensing Regulated Through State Board State Board of Examining Water Well Drilling of Examining Water Well Drilling Contractors and Water Well Pump Contractors and Water Well Pump Installation Contractors Installation Contractors – Local Contractor Listed Online at: Local Contractor Listed Online at: • http://seo.state.wy.us http://seo.state.wy.us – Or by Phone at: Or by Phone at: • 1-307-777-6163 1-307-777-6163

Water Well Resources (cont.) Water Well Resources (cont.) • State-Wide Resources State-Wide Resources – Wyoming Water Association Wyoming Water Association • 307-766-2329 307-766-2329 – State Engineer’s Office State Engineer’s Office • 307-777-7354 307-777-7354 – Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems • 307-436-8636 307-436-8636 – Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality • 307-777-7938 307-777-7938

Water Well Resources (cont.) Water Well Resources (cont.) • Nationwide Resources Nationwide Resources – American Ground Water Trust American Ground Water Trust • 603-228-5444 603-228-5444 – Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency • 303-312-6312 303-312-6312 • References References – Water Quality Association Water Quality Association • Diagnose Your Water Diagnose Your Water – http://www.wqa.org/consumer/enter.cfm http://www.wqa.org/consumer/enter.cfm

Water Well Resources (cont.) Water Well Resources (cont.) Sources: Sources: • http://www.riverton.wyoming.com http://www.riverton.wyoming.com • http://www.wellowner.org http://www.wellowner.org • http://landerwyoming.org http://landerwyoming.org • http://www.agwt.org http://www.agwt.org • http://www.epa.gov http://www.epa.gov • http://www.ngwa.org http://www.ngwa.org • http://www.wga.org http://www.wga.org • http://deq.state.wy.us http://deq.state.wy.us • http://www.wywaterwell.org http://www.wywaterwell.org • http://seo.state.wy.us http://seo.state.wy.us

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