Current Newsletter Article:

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

Early in the 20th Century farm sites in our region were usually about 80 acres in size. Most had at least two wells for water, one for the house and one for the cattle. Remember the windmills? These farms, small by today’s standards, gradually gave way to farms with larger acreage. The original farmhouses disappeared. Many wells were no longer needed or fell into disrepair. Often a new well was drilled leaving the old well seldom used, not maintained, or simply abandoned.
Scattered throughout farm country are the underground remnants of drilled and dug wells, mostly out of sight, that now provide a direct conduit for contaminants on or near the surface to be drained into the groundwater from which we draw our drinking water. Abandoned wells must be properly sealed to protect private and community water supplies from contaminants that can be drawn down from surface run off.
“The basic concept in sealing an abandoned well is restoring the geological conditions that existed before the well was drilled,” explains the Illinois Department of Public Health. “Therefore, the particular methods for sealing a well depend on the type of water well and the local geological features.” Drilled wells require the use of fill material and a special well sealing material. This can be done by a homeowner in consultation with the county health department. www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/abndwelsFS.htm.
Finding an abandoned well, usually out of sight, requires that you look for evidence that a well was once there. The most obvious evidence is a pipe sticking out of the ground. A small concrete slab or a manhole cover may be the sign of a pit where a well was located. A large ring of rocks, bricks, or concrete may be the sign of a dug well. An old windmill may indicate an abandoned well and an old shed may be a well house. A hand pump is a clear sign of a well and if the pump is inoperative the well needs to be sealed.
A responsible transfer of land should include the notification of the presence of all wells. Buyers should be aware that, when they buy, they assume the cost of maintaining any wells and they also assume potential liability. “The Illinois Groundwater Protection Act mandates that where an abandoned well is found to contaminate potable water well, the owner of the abandoned well is responsible for providing a safe and sufficient supply of water to the owner of the well that has been contaminated.” Illinois Department of Public Health Environmental Health Fact Sheet (July 2006)
Where source water for wells is highly susceptible to contamination, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency urges wellhead protection that includes the proper abandonment of potential routes of groundwater contamination within recharge areas.
The Kankakee SWCD has limited cost share funds through the State of Illinois to help seal abandoned wells. Applications should be made prior to the sealing of the well and the District is limited to the number of wells it can help with during any fiscal year. Questions and information can be obtained by calling the District at 815-937-8940, ext. 3.

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, Stephenson County SWCD/NRCS