Source Water Protection News
Are
there any unused wells located in your Wellhead Protection Area that have
not been properly closed? There may be funding assistance to get them
closed. Contact your local Natural Resources District to see if they will
participate in a cost/share program covering some or all of the expense to
properly close abandoned wells.
Abandoned wells, which are not properly sealed, provide a direct path for
contaminants to get into the groundwater. Runoff or sediment entering
a well may contain pesticides, fertilizer, livestock waste, bacteria or
other contaminants that are harmful to the water supply. These
contaminants come from chemicals applied to lawns as well as from farmsteads
and fields.
Interested communities will need to complete the first three steps of a
Wellhead Protection Program (delineated map, contaminant source inventory,
and management plan). There is assistance available if your community needs
help in completing these steps.