Overview

A confidential industrial client in Berks County, Pennsylvania, has two groundwater wells used for sanitary drinking water and process water. The facility operates 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week, and uses water in all aspects of production. The facility has been experiencing a decline in the yield of their groundwater wells, while also experiencing increases in total water demand. The facility would like to pursue rehabilitation of both existing wells, but lacked the flow capacity to take either well offline to complete the well rehabilitation. It was also unknown if well rehabilitation would return the existing wells to their original well yield. Upon consultation with the certified operator and Entech Engineering, it was determined that a third well source was necessary to provide redundancy, reliably meet demand, and provide an alternate source while the existing wells were rehabilitated. Entech assisted the facility in developing and permitting a third groundwater well.

The facility is regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) as a public water supply, and was required to permit the proposed well and water system extension. Entech’s hydrogeologic and environmental staff performed a wetland delineation, evaluated available land for feasibility of developing a well, prepared a fracture trace analysis, and sited the test well location in the field. Minimal separation distances from potential sources of contamination and wetlands were maintained. A sanitary field survey was conducted with the PADEP to ensure the well site met setback requirements. A pre-drilling and aquifer test plan were developed and approved by the PADEP. Well drilling, 24-hour pump testing, water quality testing, and groundwater level monitoring were supervised and/or conducted by the Entech hydrogeologist. The final yield of the well was 100 gallons per minute, approximately double the need identified by the client. Entech designed the tie-in of the new well to the existing water system, and coordinated all permitting through the PADEP.