HELPING TO PROTECT OUR GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
Well Abandonment
You may need to decommission or abandon a well if you have an old or unused well on your property.
SERVICE: Well Busters can properly decommission dug or drilled wells. We will remove existing equipment, well casing or tiles and properly seal the well according to strict MOE (Ministry of the Environment) abandonment regulations.
EXPLANATION: 1000’s of drilled and dug wells in Ontario are no longer used. In some cases these wells have poorly secured lids, deep pits and present a major hazard to unsuspecting children and animals. Moreover, these wells may act as a conduit for contaminants to enter your local aquifer. These wells require abandonment – property owners are liable under Ontario regulations.
Typical Service Includes:
removal of any equipment or debris in the well;
evacuation of a minimum of one volume of standing water from the well;
disinfection of the well (chlorination);
removal of any casing to approximately 2 m (or 6 feet) below the ground surface;
insertion of plugging material and clean fill to a depth of 1m below ground surface;
removal of any above or below ground structures;
placement of clay seal at the top of the well (bentonite);
addition of topsoil and clean up of the area (no reinstatement of landscaping);
completion of well record (required by the MOE);
administer MOE Well Record and issue copies to customer and MOE.
Well Busters and our agents always provide all required equipment, materials and personnel for any service. When the work is completed your well will meet or exceed current Ontario Water Resources Act regulations (R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 903).
Remember, Well Busters can help assess your well to help you determine if your well meets modern construction requirements and if you are at risk of drinking water contamination.
