Unneeded, unwanted and abandoned water wells can contribute to groundwater contamination and pose a hazard for our current drinking water supplies. When water wells are not properly constructed, maintained, and plugged at the end of their usefulness, they can act as a direct pathway for poor quality contaminated water to enter our drinking water aquifers. This bypasses the natural filtering process normally provided by the earth above the aquifers and allows for contaminants to be rapidly transported deeper into our drinking water supplies. Unsafe water can contain bacteria, parasites, viruses and chemical contamination – things that we need to avoid if we want to maintain good basic health.
Measure Description:
- Count of Active Wells is the number of private water well listed in the Private Well Tracking System (PWTS) as 'Active'.
- Count of Wells Tested is the number of private water wells that had any water test sample collected in the listed year.
- Wells Plugged is the number of private water wells that were plugged in the listed year.
- Wells Renovated is the number of private water wells that were renovated in the listed year.