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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2006. PAGE 415.
Agriculture 2006
Abandoned wells a conduit for contamination
Once they served the farm family
well, supplying them with the most
important and valuable resource we
have. Now many of them have been
abandoned and may be threatening
the very resource they once
delivered.
An abandoned well is not just a
safety hazard for young children and
animals, but is also a conduit for
contamination of the groundwater,
which is the well's water source.
And that challenge is that how
many of these wells actually exist is
a bit of a mystery.
"The issue of abandoned wells in a
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wells in
Huron
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
farming community is that they are
everywhere," said Huron County
director of planning Scott Tousaw.
He explains that long ago every
100-acre farm had at least one,
probably several over the decades.
"Many have said they had a dug well
for the house, the barn and the
pasture. Then drilled well
technology came along so they had
one for the house_ anti one for the
barn."
Farms over the course of time
changed hands and the old wells
were lost and, forgotten. That this
might prove to be a problem in the
future was never considered.
"It's a little bit like any other
environmental awareness issue.
Initially we didn't understand the
implications of our actions, whether
it's using DDT or allowing cattle
access to a watercourse."
There is absolutely no record of
dug or bored wells. However,
following the Second World War, a
record of any well that was drilled'
was stored in the Ministry of
Environment's water well record
database.
"Apparently though, the database
is inaccurate," said county planner
Susanna Reid.
"They are approximate locations.
We can plot where they might be, but
the database might have them
located on roads," added Tousaw.
"Also, you don't need a permit to
drill a well. I find that interesting
with something so significant.
However, the licensed driller must
report the well to the MOE."
There are 55,000 wells in the
MOE database for Huron, which
Tousaw said is estimated to be only a
fraction of what truly exists. Ninety
per cent of these are drilled and 10
per cent are dug or bored.
Some people who've known of
abandoned wells on their property
have had them filled in. However, it
wasn't until 2003, that the Ministry
of the Environment passed
legislation requiring that old wells
no longer in use be de-
commissioned according to specific
regulation. This included
disinfection of the well, filling it
with bentonite clay or a cement-
based sealant, to lock the well, and
removing at least two metres of
below-ground casing.
The problem with the casing in a
drilled well is that if it is corroded or-
old it can become a conduit for
contaminants. "I understand in some
cases the casings, which are about
eight-10 inches in diameter, were
just broken off so they are still there
as a potential conduit."
While the costs of
decommissioning might deter some,
there is assistance through the
county. A maximum grant is
available through the Huron Clean
Water Project.
The county budget contains
$250,000 for water protection and
stewardship projects, said Reid.
"It is a good opportunity for
people who have a project that
they're thinking of doing to access
funds."
Though funded by the county, the
Continued on A16
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Helping you protect local water quality . . .
The Huron Clean Water Project provides financial and technical assistance to
improve and protect water quality on Huron County farms and rural
properties. The project is funded by the County of Huron and delivered by
the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Conservation Authorities.
Funding assistance covers up to 50 % of the costs of eligible projects.
Funding is limited - call today!
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Clean Water Diversion - Berms and eavestroughs to $3,000
divert clean water from manure and exercise yards.
Erosion Control Measures - Grassed waterways, catch
$3,000
basins, terraces and berms to reduce erosion.
Fragile Land Retirement - Planting trees and shrubs on $2,000
erosion-prone land. Buffer strips along watercourses.
Livestock Fencing - Fences, crossings and watering $3,000
devices to eliminate watercourse livestock access.
Wellhead Protection - Pitless adapter caps, grading, $500
sealing and upgrading well casings to prevent
contamination.
Well Decommissioning - Properly decommissioning $500
abandoned wells to eliminate the link between surface
and ground water.
Community Projects - Stewardship and educational
$3,000
projects by community groups.
To apply for funding, farmers, rural landowners and community groups
should call the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (335-3557) or
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (235-2610).
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