California Water Well Standards, DWR Bulletin 74 ... - County of Glenn

~Part III.Destruction of Cathodic Protection WellsSection 13. Purpose of Destruction.A cathodic protection well that is no longer useful, permanently inactive or "abandoned" must be properlydestroyed to:(1) Ensure the quality of ground water is protected, and,(2) Eliminate a possible physical hazard to humans and animals.Section 14. Definition of "Abandoned" Cathodic Protection Well.A cathodic protection well is considered "abandoned" or permanently inactive when its anodes are exhaustedand cannot, or will not, be replaced. A cathodic protection well is also considered "abandoned" or permanentlyinactive if it has not been used for one year, unless the owner demonstrates intention to use it again. Toprovide evidence of intention for future use of a well, the well owner, in accordance with Section 24400 of theHealth and Safety Code, shall maintain the well in such a way that the following requirements are met:"(1) The well shall not allow impairment of the quality of water within the well and ground waterencountered by the well.(2) The top of the well or well casing shall be provided with a cover, that is secured by a lock orby other means to prevent its removal without the use of equipment or tools, to preventunauthorized access, to prevent a safety hazard to humans and animals, and to prevent illegaldisposal of wastes in the well. The cover shall be watertight where the top of the well casingor other surface openings to the well are below ground level, such as in a vault or below knownlevels of flooding. The cover shall be watertight if the well is inactive for more than fiveconsecutive years. A pump motor, angle drive, or other surface feature of a well, when incompliance with the above provisions, shall suffice as a cover.(3) The well shall be marked so as to be easily visible and located, and labeled so as to be easilyidentified as a well.(4) The area surrounding the well shall be kept clear of brush, debris, and waste materials."Section 15. General Requirements.All permanently inactive or "abandoned" cathodic protection wells shall be properly destroyed. The purposeof destruction is to prevent a possible safety hazard to humans and animals and to eliminate the well structureas a possible means for the preferential migration of poor-quality water, pollutants, and contaminants.Section 16. Requirements for Destroying Cathodic Protection Wells.General requirements for well destruction are contained in Section 23 of the Water Well Standards. Specialconsiderations for cathodic protection wells are as follows:APreliminarv Work. A cathodic protection well shall be investigated before it is destroyed todetermine its condition, details of its construction and whether conditions exist that willinterfere with filling and sealing.-71-