Protect your head. Everybody knows that. That’s why cyclists
and football players wear
helmets. But a wellhead — the part of a water well you can see -
– needs protection, too.
And many in Georgia don’t get it.
"From what I’ve seen in southwest Georgia, only about
half the wellheads are
protected from runoff that may contain contaminants," said
Wayne Adkins, an engineer
with the University of Georgia Extension Service.
Extension engineers Tony Tyson and Kerry Harrison say
probably only about half the
private wells statewide are properly sealed from potential
contaminants.
About 95 percent of all rural Georgians — half a million
households — rely on private
wells for their water.
"It’s
important for those homeowners to realize that they need to
protect their wells to protect
their health," Harrison said. "Many people who have a
well don’t know if it’s properly
sealed because they don’t know it’s supposed to be
done."
A 1985 Georgia law requires well drillers to seal wells with
"an impervious
material" in at least the top 10 feet of the well. Adkins
said a special material
called bentoni clay works best. But sand concrete grout does the
job with less cost.
Well drillers must seal each well they drill. It’s then the
owner’s responsibility to build a
concrete curb around the wellhead. This curb helps keep
contaminated water or chemicals
out of the well, Tyson said. It also prevents running water from
eroding the seal.
The curbed area must extend at least two feet in all
directions from the well casing
and be at least four inches thick.
"The curb provides another layer of protection from
potential contaminants,"
Tyson said.
Harrison figures it costs less than $100 to properly seal a
well. That’s a small price to pay for
safe water.
Poorly sealed wells create a direct route down the outside of
the casing into the well.
Contaminants that seep down outside the well casing are then
pumped up through the casing
into the home or farm the well supplies.
Wells drilled on a hillside or in a low area are at special
risk. Water flowing down a
hill may carry chemicals or animal waste. And standing water can
allow contaminants to
concentrate. The contaminated water can flow down around a well
casing, straight to the
water source.
Homeowners with unsealed wells put themselves and their
families, and possibly their
neighbors, at risk, Tyson said. A contaminated well can affect
nearby wells. But the
levels of the contaminant will be lower in those wells.
Water-testing will show whether a well’s water is safe. Tyson
suggests regular testing
for nitrates and bacteria that could cause illness.
Natural soil and rock formations help filter water from the
surface before it reaches
the aquifer. But letting chemicals go straight down into a well
undoes what nature
designed to protect us.
The aquifers under much of Georgia hold millions of gallons
of water. When a fairly
small amount of contaminant enters the water, that huge volume
dilutes it to safer levels.
"But some gets in there," Adkins said. "And
every little bit adds up. We
need to keep the water clean to start with. This is the way to
stop the pollution before
it starts."
