Starland County is continuing to encourage area residents to decommission their unused water wells and are offering a big incentive for those who do.
This spring and summer, the county will be offering a $200 incentive to property owners to decommission their wells. This is the third year the program has run.
“If a farmer or acreage owner wanted to get their water well safely decommissioned, Starland County will kick in $200 for that,” said Dara Calon, assistant agricultural fieldman.
It is estimate the total cost of decommissioning an abandoned well is roughly $500.
To get the incentive, residents must contact Starland County to have their well sealed. However, some information must be provided to the county before work can begin.
“We go through a private company. We get information from the land owner, like what kind of well it is, how deep the well is, and is it still being used or not. Depending on what type of well it is, it’s going to be a different process to decommission. For example, if it’s dug or encased, or if there is a pump at the bottom or not,” said Calon. “We pass that information on, a contractor comes in, decommissions it, and then we pay them $200. Then, the land owner has to pay the rest of the bill, but it’s a big savings for them.”
Abandoned wells pose a danger to the aquifers that run underneath the surface. Animals could become trapped, old pipes may rust, or chemicals could enter the aquifer via an open abandoned well, thereby contaminating drinking water.
A another risk is the potential for children, unaware there is a well, to fall down and become trapped themselves.
To seal the wells, either bentonite or concrete is used to fill the well and then it is capped, preventing anything from getting to the aquifer. Residents are not encouraged to undertake the work themselves.
“If it’s covered improperly, it’s a huge risk. It’s better to get them decommissioned,” said Calon. “We’d rather they didn’t fill in the wells on their own, just in case they toss something down that really shouldn’t be there.”
While many residents have already had their abandoned wells decommissioned, it is estimated thousands more are scattered throughout Starland County.
To help identify wells and keep farmers and acreage owners safe, Calon plans to conduct a GPS survey of each well that has been decommissined thus far.
To sign up to decommission a well, call Calon at 403-772-3793.