- We access groundwater by installing wells in the aquifer. A well is a narrow cylinder that is dug, driven or drilled down through the subsurface to the saturated zone.
- Wells can be drilled into bedrock, a consolidated formation or into glacial drift, an unconsolidated formation.
- Wells that are finished in drift require a well screen. This is a slotted cylinder attached to the bottom of the well casing that keeps soil particles from entering the well.
- Bedrock wells are cased through the drift, but have open bore holes (i.e., no screen) in the rock.
- Properly constructed wells are sealed with grout to reestablish subsurface confining layers and to prevent contaminants from reaching the aquifer which might otherwise infiltrate along the outside of the well casing.
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- Well depths in Michigan range from 15-500 feet. Most residential wells are under 200 feet deep.
- If a well is no longer in use, or is abandoned, the open hole may provide a direct pathway for contaminants to reach the aquifer.
- You can help to protect the quality of your drinking water supply by properly sealing all abandoned wells on your property.
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