Factsheet: Proper Permanent Well Abandonment …

1 factsheet : Proper Permanent well Abandonment forVirginia Coastal Plain WellsBasic Steps for the Permanent Abandonment of Ground Water : Gathering information on the well construction including the completed depthshould be done early in the planning process since the depth and size of the well governthe amount of materials and equipment needed for the is Proper well Abandonment important?Out of service or improperly abandoned wells pose anumber of threats to virginia s Coastal Plain aquifer wells may allow the movement of water into andbetween aquifers that would not naturally occur wherebymixing waters of different water quality and hydraulic situation could create a potential drain point in compromised and/or deteriorated well also acts as a conduit to move contaminated groundwater from theshallow unconfined water table aquifer to the deeperconfined artesian aquifers or nearby surface water of contamination include underground storagetanks,failedseptictankand/ordrain fields,roadsalt,landfills, is Proper Permanent WellAbandonment?

2 Permanent Wellabandonment isnotsimply capping thewell as shown in the photo to the the well is only considered to betemporary Abandonment . Permanentabandonment involves completely filling thewell with grout as described in the 1: The well must be checked from land surface to the entire depth of the wellbefore it is plugged to make sure the well is free of obstructions that may interfere withgrouting 2: The well must be thoroughly chlorinated prior to grouting per 3: Grouting the well : Bored wells (usually 24 to 36 inch diameter wells) shall becompletely filled with cement grout or dry clay compacted in constructed in unconsolidated formations (aka drilled wells) shall be completelyfilled with cement grout or bentonite slurry by introduction through a pipe initiallyextending to the bottom of the well .

3 Such pipe, referred to as a tremmie pipe) must beinserted to the bottom of the well and raised slowly to ensure the pipe remainssubmerged in grout, as the well is filled with the constructed in consolidated rock formations or which penetrate zones ofconsolidated rock may be filled with sand or gravel opposite the zones of consolidatedrock. The top of the sand or gravel fill must be at least five feet below the top of theconsolidated rock. The remainder of the well shall be filled with sand-cement grout 4: Remember to document the Abandonment procedures including the methodused, the materials used and the GPS location and reference ,failedseptictankand/ordrainfields,roads alt,landfills,subsurface liquid transportation lines, and addition, uncapped wells do pose a hazard to youngchildren and wildlife who could become trapped in the are serious threats to our water supply especiallywhen multiplied by the numerous wells left improperlyabandoned throughout the region.

4 It is the responsibility ofa well owner to properly abandon and document theabandonment of any out of use Regulations apply? Proper Permanent wellabandonment is specified in the virginia Department of Health(VDH) Waterworks Regulations 12 VAC5-590-840 B whichcovers public wells, Class I and Class II wells, etc., and in thePrivate well Regulations 12 VAC5-630-450. which governsClass III wells, including residential wells,observation,monitoring, and remediation addition, the 1992 Ground Water Withdrawal Regulations 9 VAC25-610 requiresthe protection of aquifer quality and aquifer ground actions are required if unanticipated problemsare , not all well abandonmentsoccur without a hitch. Obstructions, stuck pumps, etc. can beencountered and must be resolved to allow the well to be filledwith grout from bottom to top.

5 Check with your VDH contactand/or the DEQ prior to making a decision to cease efforts toremove the of Professional Occupation Regulations requiregroundwater wells be installed, repaired, and abandoned bylicensed Water well System factsheet : Proper Permanent well Abandonment for virginia Coastal Plain WellsAqTremmie pipeWhatFormsarerequiredandwhoneedstobec ontactedwhen planning a well Abandonment ?Contact the VDH FieldOffice for public supply wells and your local VDH office forprivate the well abandonmentprocess and may need to be present for the grouting Abandonment procedure must be documented on a GW2form and submitted to the VDH and DEQ Groundwater Characterization Programworks toexpand the state wide well monitoring network and could beinterested in including your well in the toabandoningyour well , contact the DEQ to discuss thepossibility ofincorporating the well to the DEQ monitoringwell 2 February 2014 DEQ Contacts for specific situations or questions :GroundwaterGroundwaterCharacterization ProgramWithdrawal PermittingScott Bruce: (804) 698-4041 Craig Nicol: (804) 698-4214 Grout fillingwell from thebottom to top.