Plugging abandoned wells can protect groundwater, passersby

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Dr. Monty Dozier (left) and Dr. Bruce Lessikar, Extension specialists, check their measuremeants of the well that is to be filled during the recent demonstration. An accurate measurement is key for successful plugging. -- Staff photo by Taylor

April 28, 2005 - With water rapidly becoming a more valuable commodity, landowners with water wells need to be aware of Texas laws governing those that might have been abandoned, or not used in several months.

At a recent field day highlighting water wells, a water district manager detailed the latest laws and rules, and witnessed wells being filled, correctly.

It is important to register private water wells, cited Eddie Snider; especially while it is free. After July 1, it will cost $5 per well.

"If you don't register your well, we don't know how much water you need," Snider explained, and emphasized that most local water districts, which oversee an area's groundwater and aquifers, have no intention of putting meters on wells.

Leaving an open well not only poses a threat to humans and animals by falling into a hidden well, but abandoned wells can allow concentrated chemicals to enter the well that may reach unhealthy levels in the aquifer below the well. That could threaten other wells in the aquifer, along with others on the same property or close by.

Now, under Texas law, the landowner is "responsible for plugging abandoned wells on his or her property and, therefore, liable for any water contamination or injury that might result from such a well," states information from a Texas A&M University (TAMU) brochure concerning water wells and landowners' responsibilities.

According to Texas law, a well is considered "abandoned" if it has not been in use for six consecutive months. As long as the well has not deteriorated, contains a casing, pump and pump column in good condition or has already been capped, it can be considered "in use." Landowners in doubt should contact the Water Well Drillers Program with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) or their local groundwater district. County Extension agents should be helpful, too.

Once a landowner has located an abandoned well, before the capping process begins, it is a good idea to talk to the local groundwater conservation district, a licensed water well driller in your area, or get information from the TDLR Water Well Drillers Program.

As far as who can "fix" an abandoned well, there are three people who can legally work on the well: the landowner, a licensed well driller, or a licensed pump installer. Another regulation notes the well must have less than 100 feet of standing water inside the well.

Before a landowner begins work on plugging a well, he/she must notify the Water Well Drillers Program of the TDLR and let them know what methods will be used. A state "well plugging form" must be requested, too. Within 30 days after the plugging is completed, a copy of the form must be forwarded to the TDLR and a copy to the local groundwater conservation district.

There are three methods to "fix" an abandoned well: return the well to working order, cap the well, or plug the well from the bottom to the top. Before deciding which process to use, landowners have several questions to ask and decisions to make.

If it is decided to cap or plug the well, first, the size of the well must be established using accurate measurements. This will give an idea of how much material will be needed to fill or plug the well.

All debris needs to be removed from the well, such as the pump, pump rods, pipes and floating debris. At that point, the well must be disinfected. This can be done by adding regular chlorine bleach at the rate of one gallon of bleach for every 500 gallons of water.

As much casing as is possible should be removed, and you should be ready to fill the well with the plugging material. The procedure will depend on the well construction, depth, diameter, aquifer type, materials and level of protection required. If the well is hand dug and has a large diameter, it is suggested that compacted clay or caliche should be used as filler. A cement cap that will support a minimum of 400 pounds that cannot be easily removed by hand should complete the job.

For drilled wells that have greater than 100 feet of standing water, it is recommended that all removable casings be removed and then fill the well with cement from the bottom to the land surface or use sodium bentonite, which expands upon contact with water. The same cement cap should be used to top off the well.

Finally, and very important, the completed plugging form should be sent to the TDLR so the information can be entered in the Water Well Drillers Program.

(To contact the Texas Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, write to P.O. Box 12157, Austin, Texas 78711; or visit online at www.license.state.tx.us.)