Monitoring Wells
Monitoring wells are small in diameter. They are drilled and installed to gain access to groundwater and retrieve sufficient water to test and analyze water quality as well as better understand the surrounding hydrogeological makeup. The entire process is often referred to as environmental drilling.
Groundwater monitoring wells are commonly installed at sites known to be or are suspected to be contaminated by substances such as petroleum compounds or chlorinated solvents. Wells are often sampled at regular intervals, for example, monthly, quarterly, or annually, as directed by local regulatory agencies. The collected water samples are passed on to a Geotech Engineer at an approved, independent laboratory to determine if the water in the area has become contaminated. If so, action is taken to implement the best remedial method to treat the existing conditions. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks provides detailed guidance and procedures on groundwater sample handling and analytical methods for sites in Ontario.
Properties that often require monitoring wells
Many properties require groundwater investigations before financial and real estate transactions can be completed. Properties that commonly require this are ones that were previously associated with automotive services, fuelling facilities, dry-cleaning activities and industrial processes. Another example would be landfills. Landfills install monitoring wells to help them identify potential environmental concerns early and take the necessary steps to evaluate and correct matters in accordance with regulations and sound scientific approaches.
Monitoring wells and provincial regulations
Monitoring wells must be properly developed to ensure the natural flow of water, remove organic or inorganic materials that may be in the well as a result of construction, minimize the amount of sediment in the water samples collected from the well, and ensure that any samples collected are truly representative of the quality of groundwater moving through the aquifer. Once they are no longer in use, monitoring wells must be decommissioned as required by local regulations.
Considering how crucial monitoring wells are to the health and safety of nearby property owners, operators and the general public, they must be properly installed and registered in compliance with the Ontario Water Resources Act. Therefore, not all well drilling companies have the proper license to drill and install monitoring wells. We are happy to say, Rhude Well Drilling has all the required licensing, training, experience and equipment to assist you with your environmental drilling needs. Owning the proper equipment allows us to carry out accurate sampling under many different site conditions at a reasonable cost and greater coverage. Call us. We’ll be glad to help with the design, installation, and development of your monitoring wells or help you establish a groundwater monitoring program. We install monitoring wells throughout the Greater Sudbury area, including Lively, Chelmsford, Val Caron, Hanmer, Garson, Espanola and beyond.
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What are monitoring wells comprised of and how are they installed?
As already mentioned, monitoring wells are small in diameter, but they can vary in size depending on their intended application. They are typically comprised of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or stainless steel. The materials used in constructing monitoring wells and the type of equipment used to install them are determined by site-specific factors such as local geologic conditions and project objectives.