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Handbook of Suggested Practices for the Design and Installation of Ground-Water Monitoring Wells

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Handbook of Suggested Practices for the Design and Installation of Ground-Water Monitoring Wells EPA160014-891034 March 1991 Handbook of Suggested Practices for the Design and Installation of Ground-Water Monitoring Wells by: Linda Aller, Truman W. Bennett and Glen Hackett Bennett & Williams, Inc. Columbus, Ohio 43231 Rebecca J. Petty Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Groundwater Columbus, Ohio 43215 Jay H. Lehr and Helen Sedoris National Water Well Association Dublin, Ohio 43017 David M. Nielsen Blasland, Bouck and Lee Westerville, Ohio 43081 Jane E. Denne (also the Project Officer) Advanced Monitoring Systems Division Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-3478 Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-3478 Notice The information in this document has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Cooperative Agreement Number CR-8 12350-01 to the National Water Well Association. It has been subjected to the Agency’s peer and administrative review, and it has been approved for publication as an EPA document. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. This document has been prepared in cooperation with EMSL-LV, Office of Research and Development. It is intended to be used as a general reference and will not supersede program-specific guidance (e.g., the RCRA Ground-Water Monitoring Technical Enforcement Guidance Document). ii Abstract The Handbook of Suggested Practices for the Design and Installation of Ground-Water Monitoring Wells is intended to assist personnel involved with the design, construction, and installation of ground-water monitoring wells. This document does not focus on specific regulatory requirements, but instead presents state-of-the-art technology that may be applied in diverse hydrogeologic situations. The “Handbook addresses field-oriented practices to solve monitoring well construction problems rather than conceptual or idealized practices. The informa­ tion in this “Handbook” is presented in both matrix and text form. The matrices use a relative numerical rating scheme to guide the user toward appropriate drilling technologies for particular monitoring situations. The text provides the narrative overview of the criteria that influence ground-water monitoring well design and construction in various hydrogeologic settings. The "Handbook" addresses topics ranging from initial planning for a monitoring well to abandonment. Factors influencing monitoring well design and installation include: purpose, location, site hydrogeology, contaminant characteristics, an­ thropogenic activities, and testing equipment that the well must accommodate. Decontamination procedures should be planned and executed with care. Detailed Recordkeeping from the time of well installation through sampling to abandonment is very important. Numerous drilling and formation sampling techniques are available, and many factors must be considered in selecting an appropriate method. Materials for well casing, screen, filter pack, and annular sealants also should be selected and installed carefully. Well completion and development procedures should allow collection of representative ground-water samples and levels. Main­ tenance of monitoring wells is an important network management consideration. Well abandonment procedures should include consideration of the monitoring well construction, hydrogeology, and contamination at the site. The “Handbook” serves as a general reference for the numerous factors involved in monitoring well design, construction, and installation. This report was submitted in fulfillment of Cooperative Agreement Number CR-812350-01 by the National Water Well Association under sponsorship of the Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, Nevada. This report covers a period from June 1985 to May 1989, and work was completed as of June 1989. iii v vi Figures Number 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 ix 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 x Acknowledgments This document presents a discussion of the design and installation of ground­ water monitoring wells without specific regulatory recommendations. The infor­ mation contained within the document is the product of many experiences, both published and unpublished to date. Assisting in the direction of the project and in the review of various stages of the document was an able and knowledgeable advisory committee. Although each of the individuals contributed positively, this document is a product of the authors and may not be entirey endorsed by each of the committee members. To the following narmed persons, grateful acknowledgment of their contribution is made: Roger Anzzolin, U.S. EPA, Office of Drinking Water George Dixon, formerly with U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste Tyler Gass, Blasland & Bouck Engineers, P.C. lames Gibb, Geraghty & Miller, Inc. Todd Giddings, Todd Giddings & Associates Kenneth Jennings, U.S. EPA, Office of Waste Programs Enforcement Thomas Johnson, Levine-Fricke, Inc. Ken McGill, formerly with U.S. EPA, Region 3 John Mann, formerly with U.S. EPA, Region 4 Roy Murphy, U.S. Pollution Control, Inc. Marion R. Scalf, U.S. EPA, Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory Dick Young, U.S. EPA, Region 7 John Zannos, U.S. EPA, Region 1 The basic conceptual foundation for this report was supported in its infant stages by Leslie G. McMillion, U.S. EPA, retired. A special note of acknowledg­ ment and gratitude is extended to him for his inspiration and support in starting this document. In addition to the committee members, many individuals assisted in adding practical and regional perspectives to the document by participating in regional group interviews on many aspects of monitoring well design and installation. Thanks are also extended to the following individuals for the donation of their time and invaluable input John Baker, Anderson Geotechnical Consultants, Inc., California Dala Bowlin, Jim Winneck, Inc., Oklahoma John Braden, Braden Pump and Well Service, Mississippi Harry Brown, Brown Drilling Company, Inc., Michigan Kathryn Davies, U.S. EPA, Region 3 Hank Davis, Mobile Drilling, California Tim De La Grange, De La Grange and Sons, California Lauren Evans, Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona Jerry Frick, Walkerville Weil Drilling and Supply Co., Michigan Tyler Gass, Blasland & Bouck Engineers, P.C., New York Jim Hendry, National Water Well Association, Ohio Tom Holdrege, Anderson Geotechnical Consultants, Inc., California Joseph Keely, Oregon Graduate Center, Oregon Larry Krall, Layne Environmental Services, Arizona Bruce Kroecker, Layne Environmental Services, Kansas David Lang, U.S. EPA, Region 1 xi Bill Long, Jim Winneck, Inc., Oklahoma . Carl Mason, C.M. Consulting, Pennsylvania Bill McKinnel, West Corp., Wyoming Bruce Niermeyer, Interstate Soil Sampling, Inc., California Harry Ridgell, Jr., Coast Water Well Service, Inc., Mississippi Charles O. Riggs, Central Mine Equipment Co., Missouri Scott Sharp, Layne Environmental Services, Arizona Bill Snyder, William Stothoff Company, Inc., New Jersey Steve Story, Layne Environmental Services, California Fred Strauss, Layne Environmental Services, California Dave Sullivan, D.P. Sullivan& Daughters Drilling Finn, Inc.. Massachusetts Bud Thorton, Associated Well Drillers, Inc., Idaho Taylor Virdell, Virdell Drilling, Texas Dick Willey, U.S. EPA, Region 1 Douglas Yeskis, U.S. EPA, Region 5 John Zannos, U.S. EPA, Region 1 In addition, gratitude is expressed to those individuals who participated in reviewing the document: Joe Abe, U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste Doug Bedinger, Environmental Research Center, UNLV Regina Bochicchio, Desert Research Institute, UNLV Jane Denne, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Joe DLugosz, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Phil Durgin, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Larry Eccles, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Steven Gardner, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Jack Keeley, U.S. EPA, retired Eric Koglin, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Lowell Leach, U.S. EPA, Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Laboratory, Ada Wayne Pettyjohn, Oklahoma State University Mario Salazar, U.S. EPA, Office of Drinking Water Kenneth Scarborough, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Peter Siebach, U.S. EPA, Office of Solid Waste Kendrick Taylor, Desert Research Institute, University of Nevada System. Reno John Worlund, U.S. EPA, EMSL - Las Vegas Kendrick Taylor also provided information contained in the borehole geophysical tool section of the document. xii Section 1 Introduction Objectives and Scope More specific ground-water monitoring recommendations can be found in the numerous guidance documents and direc­ The Handbook of Suggested Practices for the Design and tives issued by agencies responsible for implementation of the Installation of Ground-Water Monitoring Wells has been pre­ regulations. Examples of guidance documents include the Of­ pared as an aid to owners and operators of facilities as well as fice of Waste Programs Enforcement Technical Enforcement others concerned with proper installation of ground-water Guidance Document (TEGD) (United States Environmental monitoring wells. This document is also designed to assist state Protection Agency, 1986), the Office of Solid Waste Documents and federal authorities in evaluating all aspects of monitoring SW-846 (Wehran Engineering Corporation,
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