How to Install a Groundwater Monitoring Well

Today is installing a ground water
monitoring well day.

So we're going to be installing a two inch
groundwater monitoring well here

to a depth of about 35 feet.

And we actually have about four of them
at this site,

but we're going to show you how to do
one of them.

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This well is going to be installed with a
CME 85 Hollow Stem Auger Drill Rig.

This one is equipped to drill about
150 feet or more.

The first step is to pare the surface
by cutting a hole in the asphalt

using this cookie cutter.

Before we drill using power,
we're going to go ahead

and clear for utilities using
this hand auger,

which is about the same diameter as the
hollow stems.

Each hollow stem flight is about five feet
and is tipped by this drill bit.

Once that's cleared, we're going to go
ahead and drill down to the five feet

and we're going to use this
140 pound hammer

and this California Split Spoon Sampler to
get samples ahead of the drill strength.

Here, the driller is activating the hammer
up and down

to drive the split spoon sampler ahead
of the drill strength.

Once the split spoon sampler
has been driven,

the driller will drill the next five feet
and free up the sampler.

Once the sampler emerges, it's detached,

split open,

and the samples are obtained.

For this project, I'm actually preparing
these samples

for chemical analysis at a laboratory.

I keep a small amount for myself so that
I can describe the soil

and I can also take a vapor reading from
each soil

as just kind of a precursor to what the
chemical results might be.

I'll log all this on the log form along with
things like color, texture, grain size, etc.

Once the boring has reached it's
target depth,

we will place the casing down the
hollow stem auger.

The casing will consist of slotted screening
and blank screening.

The slotted screen is made up of .010 inch
slot size

with a threaded, flesh threaded, PVC.

Here's the blank sections of the PVC.

Once the PVC pipe is in place,
we will pour sand

around the screened portion, between the
casing and the outside of the bore hole.

Lift it as we add sand.

And once we've reached a level of about
two feet above the top of the screen,

we will add a bentonite seal.

This will swell up and form a seal around
the blank portion of the well casing.

Notice the tape measurer that the driller
is using to keep track

of where the top of the sand is.

Once that is done, we'll clean up the
surface and prepare for a well box.

The well box will be set in concrete so
that no water can enter from the surface

or come up from the bottom and into
the well.

So there's my drillers right here,
finishing up one of the last boxes up there.

So hopefully you've enjoyed this video and
if you do, be sure to like and subscribe,

all of those things that kids do
these days. Bye for now!

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