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Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
County to survey Wilton for abandoned wells
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Photo courtesy to River Valley Times
Sacramento County officials will be surveying the Wilton area throughout the summer for abandoned and inactive wells such as this one. Any well that has not been used for more than one year is considered an abandoned well and is required to be destroyed.
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By Fran Soto
River Valley Times Staff
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Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) has initiated a program to identify and locate abandoned and inactive wells. Throughout the summer, county officials will be surveying the Wilton area for such wells.
According to a letter sent to property owners in mid-June, abandoned wells not properly destroyed pose a threat to groundwater quality and are a hazard to people and animals. They can also be used for improper disposal of trash including hazardous waste.
Before destroying or repairing an abandoned or inactive well, a property owner is required to secure a well inactivation permit. There is no cost to the property owner for the permit. However, the property owner is financially responsible for the cost of the destruction of the well.
According to Barry Marcus, supervising environmental specialist with EMD, the process of destroying a well is complicated. “Destroying an abandoned well is expensive for the property owner,” Marcus said. “The inactivation permit is good for two years to allow the homeowner some time to either decide if he or she wants to bring it back into service, or destroy it and how to pay for that destruction or reactivation.”
An inactive well is any well that has not been used in any capacity for more than one year. The procedure for destroying inactive wells is spelled out on the EMD website at www.emd.saccounty.net.
“Hand dug wells, which tend to be older and dug when the water table was higher, can be filled with dirt by the homeowner,” Marcus said. “Steel cased wells need to be filled in with cement.”
Property owners are usually aware of inactive wells they have stopped using, but may not be aware of abandoned wells used by former property owners. According to Marcus, some telltale signs of an abandoned well can be a lone tree out in a pasture, a power pole with loose wires or concrete pipe. “A lone tree could mean the area was never plowed because of a well or the tree was planted for shade,” Marcus said. “Also, an old boarded up home in an area not served with public water could be a sign of an abandoned well.”
During the survey period, specialists with EMD will knock on doors to ask owners about the status of wells on their properties. EMD stresses that property owners and residents should ask to see appropriate EMD identification before letting anyone on their property. Specialists will not enter without first obtaining permission. Property owners requiring assistance locating abandoned wells or who wish to accompany EMD specialists during an inspection are asked to contact EMD at 875-8532 or e-mail EMDabndwells@saccounty.net.
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