Water Well Journal
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/715953
W ell design and construction requires a partnership among groundwater professionals. Consultants and engineers hire groundwater con- tractors to construct wells to meet certain project needs. Oftentimes during the design process a driller's underground knowledge of specific areas is called upon by the consultant to ensure the final well construction will meet the needs of the consultant's client. However, sometimes this doesn't occur for a variety of reasons. Of late, the communication disconnect is happening during the design of injection wells. With the oil boom that began in 2008, more and more contractors across the country have been called upon to construct injection wells for various purposes. In this article we'll discuss what injection wells are, how they are regulated and designed, and communication issues that often creep into their construction phase. What are injection wells? Some common uses for injection wells include: storing CO 2 , disposing of waste, enhancing oil production, mining, and preventing saltwater intrusion. Injection wells came into high demand during the oil boom back in the 1930s to dispose of oilfield saltwater-produced water. Chemical companies began using the wells during the 1950s for deep injection disposal of hazardous wastes. During the recent oil and gas boom that began in 2008, many injection wells have been constructed throughout the United States. According to the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency, more than 180,000 Class II injection wells are currently in operation in the country and it is estimated more than 2 billion gallons of brine water are injected every day. The construction of these wells is complicated and covered by several rules and permits that vary depending upon the state of operation. The EPA sets a minimum standard of requirements to en- sure a safe drinking water supply and began regulating injec- tion wells in 1974 with the passing of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Underground Injection Control (UIC) program pro- tects U.S. drinking waters (USDWs) from endangerment of contamination by regulating the . . . construction, operation, maintenance, conversion, plug- ging, or abandonment of an injection well, or the performance of other injection activities, by an owner or operator in a man- ner that allows the movement of fluid containing any contami- nant into a USDW if the presence of that contaminant may cause a violation of any primary drinking water regulations or may adversely affect the health of persons by setting mini- mum requirements for injection wells. The agency lists injection wells into different categories depending upon the type of construction used in the well and the effect of the well on human health. According to its web- site, EPA categorizes injection wells into six classes. Classes I-IV and VI include wells with similar functions, construction, and operating features. This allows for consistent technical requirements to be applied to these well classes. Communication in Construction Work on injection wells requires all parties working together. By Lana Straub COMMUNICATION continues on page 44 WWJ September 2016 43 Twitter @WaterWellJournl