If you have a water well and no longer wish to use it, you can’t just abandon it. Abandoning water wells can pose a significant threat to the health and safety of you, your family, and the environment. For this reason, it is imperative to properly decommission your water well. Well abandonment in NJ involves quite a few steps but don’t worry: we are going to walk you through how to decommission your water well in the Garden State.
What is Well Abandonment in NJ?
Each state has its own specific rules and regulations regarding water well abandonment. In New Jersey, an abandoned well is defined as:
“not in use, [and] is not properly maintained, or no longer serves its intended use as demonstrated by the permit issued for its construction, or any well which endangers or threatens the subsurface and percolating waters by the intrusion of saltwater or from any other cause, or endangers life.”
In other words, any well that is not actively in use must be decommissioned to avoid potential damage to life. Properly abandoning your well will effectively keep others safe and preserve groundwater resources. To get started on sealing and permanently closing your well, you will need to reach out to a professional.
Step 1: Seek an Experienced Team
In order to responsibly start the process of well abandonment in NJ, you’re going to need a trusted team of professionals. You want to work with a business that is dependable, reputable, honest, and prepared to tackle the job at hand. A-1 Well Drilling has been servicing NJ for over 40 years, providing customers with quality work, done right the first time. We are definitely your best choice.
Step 2: Removal
Now that you have a trusted team, they will begin removing all obstructions from the well. This includes the well pump and all piping equipment. All work must be performed under direct on-site supervision of a licensed well driller. But don’t worry, the right team won’t start your project unless a licensed well driller is present (which is always the case with A-1).
Step 3: Excavation, Filling, and Sealing
Your licensed team of well-drillers will begin excavating. The area around the well casing will be dug up while the casing itself is removed. After the well is cleared and cleaned, it can be filled and sealed. The well is grouted below the static water level and disinfected gravel is added. It is usually filled to nearly the top of the cutoff casing.
Step 4: Capping and Backfilling
To prevent surface and near-surface contaminants from entering the casing, capping is constructed on top of the well. Once properly capped, the excavated area around the well casing is filled back up with soil. It will look as if there was never a well present in the first place.
Step 5: Reporting
The final step of well abandonment in NJ is to report the newly decommissioned well to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Your licensed team of drillers will handle all the paperwork to get your abandoned well approved. Are you ready to start the process of well abandonment in NJ?
Decommission Your Well Today
Are you ready to start the process of well abandonment in NJ? Reach out to A-1 Well Drilling. We have been responsibly sealing and abandoning wells all over Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Middlesex, and Mercer counties for nearly a half-century. Whether you’re trying to decommission your well, install a new well, or need well repair, A-1 can do it all. Your well will be in trusted, fully licensed, and insured hands. Call us today to get started.
