The Study On Disposal Technology And Management Of The Abandoned Well

Pumping well is an ideal type of groundwater exploitation. With the increasingof groundwater exploitation, the construction of pumping well has been conducting.Abandoned wells are wells that has lost their use value for a variety of reasons. Thesefactors include: time factor, overexploitation of groundwater, deteriorating of waterquality in the well, mismanagement and so on. Abandoned wells or improperlydecommissioned wells can pose a safety hazard and can also pose a serious threat togroundwater quality. Therefore, the study on disposal technology and management ofabandoned well is necessary. It can ensure people’s life and property safety, preventgroundwater pollution and strengthen the management and protection of groundwater.In accordance to the project of “The management and disposal of abandonedwells” which is implemented by the water resources management center of theMinistry of water resources. This paper comprehensively collected the relevantmaterials in and out, conducted field investigations, and comprehensively analyzedthe current situation of the construction and abandoned of pumping wells in China.The number of built-up wells were533.71×104and the water supply of pumpingwells were847.91×108m3,which account for77%of total groundwater supply, bythe end of2010. The average of abandoned wells among the representation areas is3.71%. According to the abandoned rate, the number of all abandoned wells were19.78×104in2010. The type of abandoned wells include: sediment in pipes,groundwater level decline, the structure of wells was destroyed, deteriorating of waterquality in the well, the change of land type which pumping wells located in. A list ofabandoned well hazards is as follows: wells with wide openings pose a seriousphysical hazards, especially for small children and animals; reducing artesian headpressure which may affect other wells in the same aquifer; cross contamination ofaquifers by the well passing through more than one aquifer; contamination of aquifersby allowing surface runoff carrying pollutants to enter the groundwater; increases thecosts and difficulty of the construction of wells.By analysis of the current disposal technologies at home and abroad and casestudy in Hengshui city, three disposal technologies were presented. All these disposaltechnologies includes making a cap over the abandoned well, backfill to block up thepipe, backfill layer after layer. Then the paper discuss the applicability types and disposal process among different methods. Based on the analysis of presentmanagement situation and existing problems of abandoned wells, some possiblemeasures about the management of abandoned are given. It contains guidingphilosophy, fundamental principles and safeguards. At last, the paper proposesmanagement requirements of abandoned wells from the aspect of organizationmanagement, project management and disposal cost and so on.Finally, the technical code of practice for abandoned wells disposal and theregulations of abandoned wells are proposed.