Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

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The cost of plugging abandoned water wells is largely dependent on the geology of the area, the type of well and if there has been any contamination (Michigan DEQ, 2005). If the proper steps for plugging wells are taken before contamination occurs, the costs can be significantly reduced. The cost of plugging a typical residential abandoned well generally ranges from $300 to $700. The cost is significantly higher for plugging public water supply wells, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 (McEwan, 2006). A number of programs have been established to provide financial aid to owners in order to properly close abandoned wells. For example, the Clean Michigan Initiative awarded over $3 million in grants to 64 communities in 2005 (McEwan, 2006). Significant numbers of abandoned wells have been deemed “orphan wells.” These wells do not have a viable owner or an owner who does not have sufficient funds to pay for the proper decommissioning and reclamation of the site (Turcza, 2004). These sites result in significant expenses being placed on the government and states. In the United States there are more than 57,000 orphan oil and gas wells (Turcza, 2004). With an average closing cost of $5,400, it is estimated that over $560 million will be needed to properly plug these known wells (Turcza, 2004). The number of orphan wells in Canada is unknown but Environment Canada estimates it to be in the thousands (Environment Canada, 2004). In Pennsylvania there are estimated to be 7,500 orphan wells. The cost to the state to properly close these known orphan sites is over $64 million. Also, over 184,000 additional wells are believed to exist with unknown status and location, likely increasing the number of orphan sites (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 1998). Proper well closing can be much more costly. For example, the Peace River Well in Alberta, drilled into a high-pressure saline aquifer, cost over $6 million to be properly decommissioned (Turcza, 2004). Large numbers of abandoned wells whose locations are unknown, and may never be known, exist across the U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes Basin. A number of key identifiers can be used to determine if there is an abandoned well on a property (Figure 14). The first step is to try to find old drilling records or billing statements that would indicate the depth and location of a well (Michigan DEQ, 2005). Often, there are no records of older wells and other means must be used to discover their locations (Michigan DEQ, 2005; Shortt, 2004). These include: • Distressed vegetation • Settled ground • Oily or salty water seeps • Smell of natural gas or crude oil (sulphurous odour) • Water well contaminated with hydrocarbons Figure 14. Old windmills are beacons for locating abandoned water wells Photo by: D.W. Alley, 2007. • Piles of rock and other debris • Concrete slabs and old foundations • Metal pipes protruding from the ground (both indoors and outdoors) • Old pumps • Electrical switch boxes • Hand pumps • Old barns, windmills, pump houses and other brick or stone structures Unfortunately, discovering abandoned wells can sometimes be difficult or nearly impossible. Wells get built and paved over. Because many people view abandoned wells as eyesores, pipes are sawed off below ground level often leaving only a slight ground depression to indicate their presence. The use of metal detectors can sometimes aid in their discovery and resistivity, and magnetics were utilized in a recent study as a costeffective method for locating abandoned wells (Borton, Vincent and Onasch, 2007; Michigan DEQ, 2005). RECOMMENDED ACTION Several measures must be implemented to help alleviate the stresses and dangers that improperly abandoned wells are placing on groundwater quality in the Great Lakes Basin: 103
• Development of a targeted program to monitor high-risk private, single-family, well-water systems (Great Lakes Commission, 2006). • Mandate stricter and more encompassing well testing for bacterial and viral contamination. • To ensure enforcement of proper well closings, provide Ontario MOE with the means of obtaining more trained employees. • Employ licensed well drillers and pump installers to properly close abandoned wells (Wisconsin DNR, 2006). • Enforcement and regular inspection of private drinking water well construction and maintenance is greatly needed. Ontario MOE has no staff dedicated to these inspections on an ongoing basis (ECO, 2007). • Amend Ontario’s well regulations to be more direct, leaving fewer opportunities for individual interpretation (ECO, 2006). • Undertake an inventory to determine accurate numbers of functional and abandoned wells. • Implement programs to help properly educate well owners regarding well construction, maintenance and decommissioning. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2008, December). ATSDR Studies on Chemical Releases in the Great Lakes Region. Retrieved January 27, 2009 from http://www.atsdr.cdc. gov/grtlakes/aocreport/2008.html. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. (2003, March). Guide for Sealing Abandoned Wells in Manitoba. Retrieved March 20, 2007 from http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/water/abwells_e.htm. Binder, M. dir. (2005, April). The Upside of Anger. Perf. Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Keri Russel, Alicia Witt, Evan Rachel Wood. DVD. New Line Cinema. Borton, T., Vincent, R., & Onasch, C. (2007). A method for locating oil wells in Wood County, Ohio, using remote sensing and geophysical techniques. Geological Society of America, 39(3), 70. Retrieved July 18, 2008 from http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2007SC/ finalprogram/abstract_119743.htm. Boy dies in Karnataka after falling in bore-well. (2007, April). Nerve News of India. Retrieved July 17, 2008 from http://www. nerve.in/news:25350044043. Bradbury, K.R., Borchardt, M., Gotkowitz, M., Cherry, J., & Parker, B. (2007, June). Human Enteric Viruses in Groundwater from a Confined Bedrock Aquifer. International Joint Commission Biennial Meeting, Chicago. Brothers missing for 2 years found dead in well. (2008, February). Windsor Star. Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. (2005, January). Newfoundland and Labrador’s Petroleum Industry – Overview and Outlook. St. John’s, Newfoundland. Retrieved March 22, 2007 from http://www.capp.ca/raw.asp?x=1&dt=PDF&dn=82614. Celizic, M. (2007, June). Baby Jessica 20 years later. Retrieved June 22, 2007 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19165433/. Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority. (2005). Land and Water Conservation. Retrieved March 21, 2007 from www.cloca. com/lwc/homeowner_well.php. Conboy, M.J. & McLean D. (2008, March). A Study of Ontario’s Private Well Owners Information Requirements and Possible Outreach and Educational Programs. Retrieved July 18, 2008 from http://www.wellwise.ca/. Conboy, M. J. (2006a, June). Protecting Private Water Supplies. Prepared for Canadian Water Resources Association conference proceedings and presented to the International Joint Commission for the Great Lakes Groundwater Consultation. Conboy, M.J. (2006b). Look after your well and your well will look after you. Retrieved July 17, 2008 from http://www.aadomino.ca/WellWise/ wellwise.nsf/vwLinkedFiles/BetterFarming/$file/BetterFarming.pdf. Conboy, M.J. & Smith, S.D. (2005). Well Wise: A Comprehensive Consumer’s Guide for Private Water Wells. Canada. Davis, T. (2004, January). Watching Old Wells – County Ordinance Aimed at Safety. The Ann Arbor News. Retrieved March 20, 2007 from http://www.mlive.com. 104 Detroit River International Crossing. (2006). Detroit River International Crossing Study – Drilling Program. Retrieved March 21, 2007 from http://www.partnershipborderstudy.com/pdf/ Drilling%20PPTnews.pdf.
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AReportoftheGreatLakesScienceAdviso
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Citation: Great Lakes Science Advis
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Commissioners’ Preface The Great
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2 required to monitor basin groundw
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4 Systems have a 30-year lifespan d
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6 Groundwater quality is routinely
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8 Transmittal Letter Groundwater/An
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10 Acknowledgements, Activities and
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APPENDICES Appendices A through L p
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INTRODUCTION Groundwater, a major n
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16 DESCRIPTION OF NATURAL SYSTEMS M
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that are not substantially affected
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Estimates of the Level and Extent o
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APPENDIX B Threats to Groundwater Q
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24 PATHOGENS Bacteria, viruses and
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Viruses Viral pathogens continue to
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SPECIFIC EPISODES Walkerton In 2000
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30 season. The sampling sites inclu
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32 Curriero, F.C., Patz, J.A., Rose
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Infection of a suitable host specie
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APPENDIX C Threats to Groundwater Q
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Road salt has significant toxic eff
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converted to nitrite in the human s
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Atrazine Atrazine is an extensively
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Wisconsin DNR keeps track of about
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Table 1. Chemical Contaminants in G
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isks for 23 diseases in six contigu
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Figure 1. Number* of waterborne-dis
Page 60 and 61: Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Wa
Page 62 and 63: APPENDIX D Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 64 and 65: Figure 1. Source: General Descripti
Page 66 and 67: (Gorman and Halvorsen, 2006). Any s
Page 68 and 69: Table 3. Washtenaw County, Michigan
Page 70 and 71: that the OWTS would last until it w
Page 72 and 73: REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Aglie,
Page 74: Septic Tanks - Septic Tank Articles
Page 77 and 78: INTRODUCTION Leaking underground st
Page 79 and 80: sites that were previously closed,
Page 81 and 82: Table 1. USTs in Great Lakes States
Page 83 and 84: Estimation of Costs for Remediation
Page 85 and 86: Table 6. Operational Compliance of
Page 87 and 88: 80 Indiana Government. (2007, Febru
Page 89 and 90: 82 GLOSSARY AST - above ground stor
Page 91 and 92: INTRODUCTION 84 Hazardous wastes ar
Page 93 and 94: The town of Kincardine, Ontario, ha
Page 95 and 96: 88 • The monitoring and surveilla
Page 97 and 98: However, the U.S. EPA has been relu
Page 99 and 100: 92 Johnson, B.L. & DeRosa, C.T. (19
Page 101 and 102: PAHs - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocar
Page 103 and 104: INTRODUCTION An abandoned well is d
Page 105 and 106: Figure 6: Leaking oil well Source:
Page 107 and 108: CONTAMINANT SOURCES 100 During any
Page 109: Nearly 16 million operational water
Page 113 and 114: 106 Michigan Department of Environm
Page 115 and 116: APPENDIX H Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 117 and 118: far reaching. Road salt can inhibit
Page 119 and 120: 112 Desalinization Potential water
Page 121 and 122: Gray, J. (2004, January). Brine Spr
Page 123 and 124: INTRODUCTION 116 In 2003 there were
Page 125 and 126: 118 feed has increased to upwards o
Page 127 and 128: References and Bibliography 120 Arn
Page 129 and 130: APPENDIX J Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 131 and 132: for recreational purposes and destr
Page 133 and 134: 126 errors (human or mechanical), p
Page 135 and 136: Apparent Losses Old meters are like
Page 137 and 138: Figure 6. Examples of Windsor, Onta
Page 139 and 140: REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 132 Ada
Page 141 and 142: 134 Levy, S. (2004, November 16). T
Page 143 and 144: APPENDIX K The Châteauguay Transbo
Page 145 and 146: 138 the clay sediments of the St. L
Page 147 and 148: REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Bureau
Page 149 and 150: INTRODUCTION 142 Groundwater law ac
Page 151 and 152: 144 • Water withdrawn be returned
Page 153 and 154: 146 found to be failing. Now, with
Page 155 and 156: Part 373: Third Stage Treatment Lag
Page 157 and 158: 150 Chapter 1501:15 Soil and Water
Page 159 and 160: 152 Title 29 - Water Resources Mana
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APPENDIX M List of Acronyms ADHD -
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Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

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