Water well drilling companies in Napa County don’t only drill and maintain wells – they are also sometimes called in to seal old wells up.  It is extremely important that abandoned wells not be left open.  If you have a well on your property, part of your responsibility is ensuring it’s properly disposed of should you ever leave that property.

If you haven’t thought about the eventuality of well sealing, here are some of the things you need to know.

Why Does an Abandoned Well Need to Be Sealed?

Basically, there are two big reasons it’s important to always seal off a well that will no longer be used.

1 – Falling danger

This should be relatively obvious.  The well is a big hole in the ground, and that represents a danger to both people and animals.  It might be easy to spot the well at first, but if the ground remains abandoned for long enough, overgrowth will start to obscure the well’s hole.  Simply placing a cover on it isn’t good enough either; there are too many ways the cover could become dislodged.

2 – Environmental dangers

If the well opening is left exposed, that means there’s a direct conduit down to the groundwater source.  This can easily lead to toxin and pollutants getting into groundwater, potentially poisoning that water for miles around.

How Wells Are Sealed

Well-sealing is not something an amateur can do on their own.  Only water well drilling companies in Napa County, who are properly trained and licensed, can handle the well-sealing in a manner which is fully safe and legal.

At a bare minimum, the top of the well will be sealed off, generally with concrete and grout.  Depending on the situation, it may also be necessary to fill in the well as well – particularly if the well drilling company fears that contaminants may seep in from the sides.  In that case, they’ll fill it with material such as clay, pea gravel, or limestone chips before sealing.  Those are materials which will help filter any runoff that happens to make it into the well hole.

Need A Well Sealed?  Contact Weeks Drilling & Pump

Founded in 1906, we’re among the oldest and most experienced well drilling companies in Napa County.  If you know you’re going to be abandoning a well soon, please give us a call so we can ensure it is properly sealed.