Abandonment of an Old Well on a Rezoned Parcel
A developer buys a former farm parcel and finds an old 8-inch, 250-foot hand-dug and drilled hybrid well with a broken casing near the top and no cap. The parcel is being rezoned for a small subdivision, and the developer wants to keep the old well as a landscape water source. The well sits 40 feet from a proposed septic drainfield and 15 feet from a property line. The driller is asked to 'clean it up and put a new cap on it' rather than abandon it. The casing is deteriorated below 20 feet, and the static level is 60 feet. The driller must advise on whether the well can be rehabilitated, capped, or must be abandoned.
1. Can this well simply be cleaned and capped for landscape use, given the broken casing and proximity to the drainfield?
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Probably not as proposed. The broken casing below 20 feet means the well's integrity is compromised and the annulus may be a pathway for contamination, especially with a septic drainfield 40 feet away. A new cap on a defective casing does not fix the underlying defect. Before any decision, the driller should assess the extent of casing damage and whether it can be repaired or relined to restore integrity. If the well is to remain in service, it must meet construction standards for its use and location, including adequate casing and a proper seal. If it cannot be brought into compliance, capping alone is insufficient and abandonment is the appropriate path. The driller should give the developer a clear recommendation with reasons.
2. If the well must be abandoned, what does proper abandonment involve here?
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Abandonment means sealing the well so it cannot act as a conduit for contamination or cross-connection between aquifers. The driller should remove or perforate obstructing casing as needed, then fill the well from bottom to top with approved sealing material, typically a grout or bentonite slurry placed to ensure no voids, and cap the top. Because the casing is broken below 20 feet, the driller must ensure the seal addresses the damaged interval and the annulus, not just the open borehole. The driller should verify the static level and place the seal so it does not trap contaminated water above the seal. The abandonment must be documented and reported to the state, and the developer should be told the well can no longer be used.
3. What role do the 15-foot property-line setback and the drainfield distance play in the recommendation?
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Both distances bear on whether the well can remain a viable water source and on how abandonment is done. A well that close to a property line and a proposed drainfield raises concerns about setback compliance and contamination risk. If the well is kept, the driller must confirm it satisfies the applicable setback requirements; if it does not, keeping it may not be permissible regardless of repairs. For abandonment, the proximity to the drainfield means the driller must be especially careful that the seal fully isolates the well and does not create a pathway from the drainfield into the aquifer. The driller should document the distances and factor them into the recommendation to the developer.