Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

Figure 8.
Brine wells in Windsor, Ontario,
and Detroit, Michigan, 2007
Source: URS, 2007
Figure 9.
Location of 1954 sinkhole Windsor, Ontario
Source: URS, 2006
a house that caught fire. Contaminated water and foam
used to fight the fire entered the open well and contaminated
local wells up to 400 m away (St. Marseille, 2006).
Remediation costs exceeded one million dollars.
Abandoned brine wells are a potential source for groundwater
contamination as deep boreholes and large cavities
provide excellent pathways for pollutants (Figure 7). Brine
wells are bored into a large salt formation. Fresh water is
injected into the well, dissolving the sodium chloride into
a brine solution, which is then pumped back to the surface
(RRC, 2006; Detroit River International Crossing, 2006).
Due to large salt deposits, about 400 metres below
the surface, many brine wells were constructed in the
Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, area (Figure
8). If not properly managed, these hold the potential
of becoming large sinkholes. In Windsor, a 200-ft.-
wide by 25-ft.-deep sinkhole developed in 1954 (URS
Corporation, 2006) (Figure 9). In Hutchinson, Kansas,
in 2001, abandoned brine wells served as conduits for
natural gas. Multiple explosions resulted in two deaths
and extensive damage (The Associated Press, 2002).
HEALTH HAZARDS
Deep aquifers are generally believed to be clean and
free of pollutants, bacteria and viruses. However,
viruses have been discovered in deep wells in Madison,
Wisconsin. Since viruses are thought to only live up
to two years in subsurface conditions, penetration and
travel to the aquifer must be relatively rapid (Bradbury,
Borchardt, Gotkowitz, Cherry and Parker, 2007).
and more than 2,000 illnesses. The source of E. coli was
identified as a nearby cattle farm. Two nearby abandoned
wells, installed in 1949 and 1952, are believed to
have aided in the transport of E. coli into groundwater
(Howard, 2004). Even after this deadly outbreak many
people do not have their wells regularly inspected
and well water tested for bacteria and pathogens. In
Ontario, 88% of well owners perform no extra testing
beyond the complimentary bacterial test provided by
the Ministry of Health, which tests solely for E. coli and
total coliform bacteria (Ministry of Health and Long-
Term Care, 2007).
The dangers of bacterial contamination are starting
to be noticed. For example, in Green Bay, Wisconsin,
bacterially contaminated wells now qualify for state
aid. The amount provided is partially decided by household
income. Owners with total incomes less than
$65,000 may receive up to $9,000 toward construction
of a new well (“People with,” News Online, 2006).
Nitrates are a common groundwater pollutant found
in well water. Among the sources are fertilizers and
animal manure applied to farm fields. High nitrogen
levels in drinking water can be deadly, especially to
young infants where it has been found to cause methemoglobinemia,
better known as blue baby syndrome
(Richmond, 2007). On May 29, 2007, residents in Mt.
Brydges (population approximately 3,000 (Industry
Canada, 2006)), just outside London, Ontario, were
notified of high nitrogen levels in the municipal water
supply (from community wells) and advised to give
only bottled water to infants under six months of age
(Martin, 2007).
In 2000, the well known outbreak of E. coli in
Walkerton, Ontario, occurred resulting in seven deaths
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