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EPA Guidance On Borehole

Construction & Wellhead Protection

Ms. Criona Doyle

Office of Environmental Enforcement

Environmental Protection Agency

19th April 2018.

Introduction

• Why important ?

• Guidance documents

• Groundwater flow and potential contamination

• Critical factors in design & construction

• Further information

Why Important ?

Why important ?

• 170,000 private wells

• Estimated up to 30% have E. coli

• Microbial pathogens e.g. E. coli cause gastrointestinal disease

• Increase in VTEC in recent years

• VTEC cases 4 times more likely where private well water

consumed

VTEC Figures

Guidance Documents

Guidance Documents

• IGI Water Well Guidelines (2007) – 3 booklets

http://igi.ie/publications/guidelines/

• EPA Advice Note 14: Borehole Construction & Wellhead

Protection (2013)

https://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/drinkingwater/EPA_DrinkingW

ater_AdviceNoteNo14b_web.pdf

Groundwater Flow

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Checklist

• Surface water ingress ?

• Well Cap ?

• Well Grouted ?

• Borehole log ?

• Water tested ?

Design – IGI Guidelines

• Recommended distances to likely pollution sources

• Casing materials

• Minimum depth of casing & grout

• Headworks details & concrete pad

• Pump house

Installation of Borehole

• Important Elements

• Pump Chamber

• Grouting

• Pump Position

• Well Head Completion

Grouting

Wellhead Protection

• Insert picture of

Well Head Protection

Well Head Protection

AIM - PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH

Further Information

• EPA Website – Householder Information on Private Wells

http://www.epa.ie/water/dw/hhinfo/

EPA Infographic

• Insert text

Web App & Animation

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How Can You Help ?

• http://www.epa.ie/pubs/a

dvice/drinkingwater/SS%2

0Wells%20Web.pdf