Well abandonment occurs when wells are unused, and if they have been improperly decommissioned (abandoned) they pose a serious risk to ground water quality. Improperly decommissioned wells can directly channel contaminated surface water into ground water. Since ground water flows through soil and rock formations, contamination from an improperly decommissioned well can spread to other wells in the area. Because of these risks, abandoned wells must be filled, sealed and plugged.
We remove pump equipment for water, oil, and gas wells which includes decommissioning and grout sealing services.
Background
It is necessary to know some background information on the well – when it was constructed and by whom, as well as the methods used in construction. This information normally is available from the appropriate agency responsible for water resources.
Removal of Well Equipment
Once the well has been cleared of equipment and disinfected, it can be filled in. Having determined the means by which the well will be filled and sealed, the next step is to remove the well equipment (well pump, piping, etc.) and any other obstructions. If an obstruction can’t be removed, the well should be grouted from the bottom to a point above the obstruction. If this isn’t possible, a minimum five-foot grout seal should be placed above the obstruction. Before any fill or grout is added, the well should be disinfected with a chlorine solution. Sand and gravel fill also should be disinfected with a chlorine solution.
Capping
After the well has been filled and sealed, it must be capped. The well records should indicate if the well was equipped with a surface seal. If the well does have a surface seal, the remainder of the well casing should be filled with grout and a watertight cover should be installed on top. The remainder of the hole can be filled in with concrete, cement grout.