Franklin County Conservation District
"Conserving our Natural Resources for the Future"
Abandoned Water Well Plugging
Demonstration sponsored by the Franklin County Farm
Bureau and the Franklin County Conservation District
All photos are property of the Franklin County Conservation District and
are not to be reproduced without written permission of the Franklin
County Conservation District, Ottawa Ks.
Abandoned Wells Are Dangerous! This well is about 40 yards from the edge
of a driveway. There are a few small rocks on top as a lid, but these
could have been easily moved by a child.
Waiting for an accident! The diameter of this well was 4 feet. The total
depth of the well was 30 feet and there was 17 feet of water in the
well; clearly large enough for a child, animal or even an adult to fall
into.
Getting started…pump out water
Disinfect the well. Existing bacteria or bacteria from the plugging
materials should be eliminated. This will help prevent the contamination
of near by wells. Liquid or dry chlorine may be used as a disinfectant.
Removing the rock liner: Getting started requires a little manual labor;
the top 5 feet of rock liner must be removed. The rock and dirt may be
used as part of the fill, therefore you will not end up with a pile of
rocks and dirt. While removing the top 5 feet of rock liner the wells
diameter must also be widened by 2 feet. Many rocks may have to be
removed by hand, requiring a good pair of gloves and good balance!
Sand/Rock is the first layer of fill. Once the site has been prepared by
removing the rock and widening the diameter, it is time to start filling
the well. One inch washed rock OR sand are used as the first layer of
fill.
Don’t create a mess ! It is best to pump out as much water as possible
before you start to fill the well. Any remaining water will be displaced
and can create a wet mess on the surface.
Creating a cap with Bentonite. It is required that the Bentonite creates
a layer that is 1/2 foot in depth. The top of the bentonite layer must
begin 4 1/2 feet below ground level.
Well has been properly plugged! Grass was later seeded and this area is
now a safe part of the front yard
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