1. Abandoned Wells Do you have an old well lurking in your yard?
Introduce your self
Provide:
Name
Title and where you work
Brief description of the MGSP
Cooperative effort of MSUE, MDA, NRCS, Americorps
Funded by user fee on pesticides and N fertilizers
Money provides technical assistance, education, and cost share.
Safe Pesticide Storage
How and where to keep hazardous materials in the house to prevent accidental exposure to people and to water.

2. Problems Contamination can directly contaminate groundwater
Buried wells may collapse
Contamination can include:
Fertilizer
Pesticides
Bacteria
Sediment
Oil or gasoline
Contaminants bypass the natural filtering process and directly enter groundwater. Chemicals do not break down as quickly in the groundwater as on the soil surface.
Contaminants can also bypass confining layers
Abandoned wells may allow groundwater to travel from a contaminated aquifer to an uncontaminated aquifer.
People and animals may be hurt or killed or equipment damaged if they fall down an old well.

3. Abandoned Wells Pipes in yard or basement
Concrete slab or manhole cover
Stone or brick rings
Windmills or handpumps
City water installed
Things to look for:
1 to 5 inch pipe above the ground (see top picture)
An unatached pipe coming into the basement floor or wall
A concrete slab or manhole cover can hide well pit (see bottom picture)
A 1-3 foot ring of rocks, bricks, or concrete
A shallow depression in the yard (especially if it doesn’t collect water:
Windmills or hand pumps
Well house
City water installed after the house was built
Older wells made with steel pipes are likely to fail, crack, or leak due to rust and corrosion. They should be regularly tested for contaminants and properly closed if they are not in use.

4. Abandoned Wells Well records Neighbors or previous owners
Metal detector
Old photographs
If you suspect that a well is located on the property, but can’t find it try these methods:
County health department or well driller records (especially for wells within the past 30 years.
Metal detectors will find old driven or drilled wells with steel casings
Old photographs may show windmills, sheds, or well casing pipes.
A thin rod may help you find old dug wells by locating stone or concrete fill or casing.

5. Properly plugging wells:
Specialized product (bentonite or neat cement)
Well driller
The homeowner or a well driller may legally close a well. It is always best to go with a qualified well driller – they can handle any problems that come up.
Two products to close wells:
Bentonite is a clay that swells when wet. It will completely fill in the well casing, preventing water or contaminants from going down wells.
Neat cement is used for very deep or bedrock wells.
Get unused wells plugged when you are having a new one drilled.
Cost share from the MGSP is available to close wells:
On farms
At homes in agriculturally zoned areas
Contact your local municipality to see about other programs.

6. For more information
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality –
Go to Water Drinking Water Abandoned Wells