Sponsored By:
Las Animas County Cattlemen’s Association
Las Animas County Health Department
Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.
Trinidad & Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce
Trinidad State Junior College
Vista GeoScience LLC
Common Issues for Well Owners
 Poor Water Production (Quantity)
 General Water Quality
 Odors and/or Taste
 Color, Staining or Sediment
 Natural Gas (Methane) in Water
 Solutions, Testing & Maintenance
 Resources Available
Construction of Water Wells
 Who Regulates?
 Division of Water Resources (DWR)
 State Engineers Office (SEO)

Permits & Well Ownership Transfers
 Board of Examiners (BOE) of Water Well
Construction and Pump Installation Contractors
 Licensing & Certification
 Construction & Design Rules
 Protection of Ground Water
 Your Well Permit &
Construction Record Files
Las Animas
County
Common Aquifer Types
AQUIFER: The water bearing sediment or rock your well is drilled into
 Alluvial Aquifer
 Stream Valley Sands
and Gravels
 Generally Shallower
 Bedrock Aquifer
 Sandstone, Siltstone,
Shale or Coal
 Porous or fractured
Rocks
 Generally Deeper
Alluvial Wells
 Surface Casing
 Filter pack
 Well Seal
Bedrock Well
 With a well seal & filter
pack, or
 Open bore completion
Open Borehole
Bedrock Well
 Harder Formation
 Steel Surface Casing
 No filter-pack or
Annular Seals
Poor Water Production (Quantity)
 Well Yield = Gallons Per Minute
 1 Gallon per Minute = 1400 Gallons per Day
 Does Your Well Go Dry?
 Seasonally or Under Heavy Use?
 Could be from:
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Tight or Low-Flowing Aquifer
Dry Season – Low Water Table
Drawdown (Over-pumping)
Fouling of the Well Screen or Pump
Pump Damage or Failure
Poor Well Design or Construction
Approaching Lifespan of the Water Well
Yield in Alluvial Aquifers
 Better Yield
 Sands
 Gravels
 Poor Yield
 Silts
 Clays
Yield in Bedrock Aquifers
 Better Yield
 Sandstone
 Fractured Rocks
 Lower Yield
 Claystone (Shale)
 Siltstone
SHALE
Seasonal Fluctuation or Drought
Spring/Summer
 High water level
Fall/Winter
 Low water level
Drawdown
Over-Pumping of the Aquifer
NO PUMPING
Fouling (blockage) of the
Well Screen or Pump
 Silts and Clays
 Encrustation
 Hard Water
 Iron
 Bio-Fouling
 Bacteria Growth
Poor Well Design or Construction
 Minimum Construction
Requirements were Met?
 May not be adequate
 Sand/Gravel Filter or Open Bore
 Post-Drilling Development
 (Required Cleaning after Drilling)
 Adequate Bore-Hole
Diameter/Depth
 Casing Size & Screen Type
 Is the Casing too big for the bore
Solutions to Low-Yield Wells
ISSUES:
 Naturally Low
Yielding Aquifer
 Seasonal drop in
ground water
table, or drought
 Drawdown (overpumping of the
aquifer)
SOLUTIONS:
 Install a Cistern
 Drill a deeper well
 Reduce usage
Solutions to Low-Yield Wells
ISSUES:
 Pump Failure
 Fouled Screens or
Pump
 Poor well design or
construction
 Limited lifespan of
the water well
SOLUTIONS:
 Inspect, Repair Pump
 Redevelop the well
 Chemical , or
 Physical Cleaning of Well
 Last Resort : Drill a
New Well.
Limited Lifespan of a Water Well
 Typically years to decades:
 The Geology
 Well Design/Construction
 Maintenance
 Normal Corrosion/ Wear &
Tear
 Amount of Use/Pumping
General Water Quality:
 Odor
 Taste
 Color & Sediment
ODORS
My water smells!
 BACTERIA!
 Stagnant Water Smell
 Septic Tanks Like Odors
 Rotten Egg or Sulfur Smell
 Bacteria + Sulfates in Well = Hydrogen Sulfide Gas
 Your nose is very sensitive to this gas
 SOLUTION:
 Chemical treatment or other cleaning by an expert
 Look around for sources
 Testing, inspection, and maintenance
TASTE
 Tastes Metallic or Salty!
 Dissolved Mineral Content
 Bacteria
 Nitrates
 SOLUTION:
 Water quality testing by an expert
 Check whether some minerals are above drinking water
standards.
 Filtration and treatment system
 See CDPHE for guidance on drinking standards.
COLOR
 Dissolved Minerals
 Excessive Bacteria Activity
 Sediment
SOLUTION:
 Water Quality test
 Bacterial Activity Reaction Test (BART)
 Chemical well treatment for bacteria issues and/or
 Well filtration/treatment system for high mineral content
SEDIMENT
 Grit / Particulates
 Cloudy Water - Settles
 Causes:
 Improper or damaged well screens
 Poor well development: original drilling, or
formation debris is getting into the well
 Lack of a sand/filter pack around the screens
SOLUTION:
 Filtration systems/traps can remove some sediment
 Redevelop and clean well if not done originally
 Contact a consultant or licensed pump installer for options
GAS BUBBLES
 It looks like soda water!
 Causes:
 Dissolved Air or Natural Gas Methane and/or Carbon Dioxide
 Sources
 Natural Bacteria
 Coal Bed Methane
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Raton & Vermejo Formation
Las Animas County, West of I-25
COAL BED METHANE DESORPTION
NATURAL GAS (METHANE)
 Is natural gas (methane) hazardous?
 Non-Toxic.
 Not Regulated by EPA.
 Flammable & Explosive (5% in air)
 SOLUTION:
 If suspected: Request a dissolved methane test.
 If methane is in your water, test the air in the home.
 Methane Mitigation Systems
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Vented Cistern
Methane or Gas Removal System
(works for methane, radon, other gases)
Potential Impacts to Water Wells
Potential Impacts to Water Wells
 Malfunctioning septic systems
 Fuel spills
 Chemical pesticides or fertilizers
 Household hazardous wastes, paints and
solvents storage and spills
 Road salt runoff
 Livestock manure, animal feces
 Improperly abandoned historic mines & wells
 Contamination & spills from nearby industry
Livestock Pen, Well Head & Cistern
Testing, Maintenance & Treatment
 Have your well records on hand (DWR-SEO)
 Maintain and Test your Well
 Laboratory Testing


Colorado Dept. of Health & Environment (CDPHE) Lab
Private Water Testing Labs
 Well Maintenance Contractors

Well Drilling & Pump Contractors
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Licensed through the DWR-SEO
Optionally Certified by a NGWA
Consultants
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Hydrogeologists
Certified Water Well Maintenance Contractors
Resources
 Laboratory Testing & Information
 CDPHE & Private Labs
 EPA - The Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791.
 Consultants & Experts
 Colorado Ground Water Association - coloradogroundwater.org
 Well Drilling Contractors
 DWR-SEO (Permits, Licensed Water Well/Pump Contractor)
 Colorado Water Well Contractors Assoc. - cwwca.org
 National Ground Water Association - wellowner.org
 Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
 Well Owner Associations
 National Ground Water Association - wellowner.org
 Water Systems Council - Well Owners Network - watersystemscouncil.org
 American Ground Water Trust – agwt.org
The Goal: To insure your water
is enjoyed by everyone!
THANK YOU
 Sponsored By:
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Las Animas County Cattlemen’s Association
Las Animas County Health Department
Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.
Trinidad & Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce
Trinidad State Junior College
Vista GeoScience LLC
This presentation is intended to provide general information regarding water wells. It is not intended to address any specific
circumstances regarding individual water wells. For specific questions regarding your individual circumstances contact one of
the agencies listed above or a qualified water well maintenance or repair contractor. The sponsors make no representation
express or implied as to the accuracy or completeness of the information in this presentation, and are under no obligation to
update or correct such information. The sponsors expressly disclaim any liability resulting from the use of this presentation or
any errors therein or omissions there from.