Filling and Sealing Abandoned Wells
Abandoned or unused wells pose a great threat to the safety and quality of groundwater drinking water supplies. An unused well provides a direct path for contaminants and pollutants to the underground aquifers that supply working wells.
Well Abandonment
Wells must be properly filled when they are removed from service. If your property is served by a municipal drinking water system, a municipal well filling and sealing ordinance may also require you to obtain a permit or permanently fill and seal any private wells on your property. Drillholes and exploratory boreholes must also be properly filled and sealed when they are no longer in use.
Wells are no longer used for a variety of reasons:
- Not enough water.
- Needed repairs.
- Became contaminated.
- Simply “lost” or abandoned when property changed hands.
- Land use changed.
- Connected to a community water system.
Every unused well that is not properly sealed poses a safety, health, and environmental threat to your family and community as well as a potential legal risk to the homeowner.
Well Contamination
The best way to prevent your well water from contamination is make sure your well seal (well cap) is “vermin proof.” This is very important as bugs and rodents can’t resist the cool, dark, damp home they think they’ll find (right before they fall to the bottom of the well).
Should you discover that you don’t have a vermin proof well seal, and are concerned about the accumulation at the bottom of your well, we have a service called “Brush and Bail.” We brush the well casing and open bore hole with a 6′ stainless steel brush, then we bail the well using a custom fabricated bailer. Upon completion we can sanitize your well with EPA approved Calcium Hypochlorite (Chlorinating Tablets). Never use the liquid bleach in your well!
If you decide to have your water system inspected we can point out other potential sources of contamination and help you rectify them. We work with you to meet the requirements of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in regard to well filling and sealing.