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Safe Well Decommissioning: Essential Tips for Homeowners

Read time: 4 min.

Dealing with an old well on your property can be a real headache. Well decommissioning, while it may sound complicated, is crucial for both safety and the environment. Ignoring a disused well risks water contamination and physical dangers.

This guide explains the why, when, and how of well decommissioning. We’ll explore regulations, the process, and typical costs involved. You’ll learn how to handle each step.

Why Well Decommissioning Matters

Abandoned wells create direct pathways from the surface to groundwater. This opens up several environmental and safety concerns for property owners.

These risks include contamination, safety hazards, and property devaluation. Ignoring these problems can create costly and time consuming issues. Addressing the problems can keep everyone safe.

  • Contamination: Surface pollutants can easily contaminate aquifers through open wells, affecting drinking water. Cleaning contaminated groundwater is expensive, time-consuming, and rarely fully effective.
  • Safety Hazards: Uncapped wells pose a physical danger. People, animals, or equipment can fall in, especially with older, wider wells.
  • Property Devaluation: Abandoned wells can impact property values due to the potential liability for buyers.

When to Decommission Your Well

Decommissioning is essential when a well malfunctions, poses contamination risks, or becomes a safety hazard.

Several reasons can warrant this procedure.

  • The well consistently pumps contaminated water.
  • It’s no longer needed due to connection to a municipal water supply.
  • The well’s structure is deteriorating and at risk of collapse.
  • An abandoned well from a previous owner is discovered on the property. Abandoned wells can impact groundwater for private wells or public water systems. Taking care of them right away reduces the risk to water quality.

An out-of-sight, out-of-mind well? That’s the type most in need of decommissioning. If you are selling property with a well, you’ll want to ensure any necessary decommissioning happens before the sale.

The Well Decommissioning Process: A How-To Guide

Well decommissioning follows a structured set of guidelines that vary by state.

While a professional is usually required, understanding these state guidelines lets you discuss the process clearly with contractors.

1. Assessing the Well

First, gather all available well information, including construction records (well logs). Verify compliance with your local government to confirm the regulations related to inactive and abandoned wells.

Next, check local regulations and hire a registered well driller, as property owners typically cannot perform this work themselves. Verify depth, diameter and material of the casing.

2. Prepping the Well

The top priority before beginning work is disconnecting power to all well equipment. Clear any obstructions from the well, such as pumps, piping, and debris.

This preparation will allow easy access for filling later. A neglected well often requires extra work and attention.

3. Disinfection and Cleaning

If the well was previously used for pumping, disinfect the inside with a chlorine solution. This important step will ensure your well is sanitized.

Follow state-specific disinfection and cleaning procedures as required.

  • Use a strong chlorine solution following specific guidelines in New York, for instance you must use a specific solution as instructed in the state guidelines.
  • Introduce the chlorine solution to eliminate biological growth within the well shaft and casings. Allow sufficient time for the solution to work. You may need further treatment if biological contaminations are harmful.

4. Sealing the Well

Sealing involves using approved grouting mixtures that comply with environmental standards.

Various factors will affect your choice of grout, such as type of well, geology, and other regulations. This table shows primary types used to permanently decommission a well.

Grout Type Composition Use Cases
Neat Cement Grout Cement & Water Simple, cost-effective for smaller wells.
Cement Grout Cement, Sand & Water Added strength, for mid-sized wells.
Cement-Bentonite Grout Cement, Bentonite Clay & Water Reduced shrinkage and cracking, common in various well types.
Bentonite Slurry Bentonite Clay & Water Smaller wells, or as part of a layered seal.

Bentonite, in either pelletized form or mixed into the grout, forms an impermeable barrier against leakage. Bentonite pellets are useful when dealing with drilled wells, smaller diameter borings and other types of abandoned wells where a grout slurry mixture cannot be properly installed as prescribed by local well decommissioning guidance.

For deeper wells, grout is pumped under pressure from the bottom up using a tremie pipe. This ensures a complete and stable fill. The well should be filled from bottom to top.

5. Finishing Touches

Surface pipes should be removed or capped properly below ground, steel pipe needs to have its caps welded into place. Fill the surrounding area with packed earth, mounding it slightly to allow for settling and proper drainage.

If the well has a casing you will need to chop this with a proper saw to dispose of at your local salvage point. Your local scrap metal hauler might have guidelines regarding properly sized chopped up pieces, check local metal haulers.

What Factors Into Well Decommissioning Costs?

Decommissioning costs can range from $50 to thousands of dollars. Well depth, type, local geology, and location are all contributing factors.

Shallow wells or those with easier fill requirements will be less expensive to decommission. This is due to smaller volume of bentonite, smaller quantities of sealing grout, and less involved processes needed to properly address any contaminations or safety hazards of each.

Deep drilled wells are more expensive, as they require specialized procedures. Specialized materials and experienced well decommissioning professionals also factor into higher costs.

FAQs about well decommissioning

What does it mean to decommission a well?

Well decommissioning permanently seals an unused or damaged well. This safeguards groundwater and eliminates safety hazards. It typically involves removing the pump, filling the well, and permanently sealing it according to EPA, state, and local regulations.

What does it cost to decommission a well?

Costs can vary significantly, from $50 to $5,000 or more, depending on the project complexity. Simpler projects for shallow wells might be closer to $150. Larger or deeper wells may require significantly more extensive, and more costly, work. Always obtain several written estimates of well decommissioning costs so you have all the pricing information available.

How should a homeowner decommission an abandoned well?

Homeowners should always contact a licensed and certified water well contractor for decommissioning a well.

Contractors handle permitting, reporting, and ensure proper safety and procedures for different well types. If the casing for an older, legacy or improperly sealed well is leaking or you can detect other obvious problems and are not yet ready to abandon well due to cost or other complexities you should cap wells using materials readily available from local hardware and/or plumbing supply locations.

What is the procedure of well abandonment?

Well abandonment, or decommissioning, involves permanently sealing a well to prevent access. The steps generally include inspection, filling, capping, and reporting as outlined in state and local regulations.

These regulations aim to maintain water quality and human safety. Contact a licensed professional to get information on specific steps, procedures, costs, regulations and safety related topics and answers.

Conclusion

Well decommissioning safeguards groundwater and public safety by addressing potential hazards and contamination. Adhering to regulations, including filling, sealing, and reporting, is crucial. Collaborating with property owners, relevant authorities (state, local, EPA, HOA), and management companies helps ensure proper procedures are followed. This collaboration helps protect water resources.

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