The test holes and wells were drilled to assess the geologic and ground water resources of the state and to allow environmentally sound management of these resources. Regardless of when a test hole or well may have been drilled, there are some concerns related to the potential for contamination of ground water.
Demands continually increase on good quality ground water resources.
Therefore, in keeping with needs of the public to protect the quality of the ground water resources, it is only prudent to assess the condition of the test holes and wells drilled by the Geological Survey Program. The initial work plan proposed to visit each site where a test hole was drilled or a well was installed, assess the surface conditions at the site, and take the appropriate remedial action, if needed. Given the number of test holes and wells, the effort will span several years. Work began on the project in the summer of 1998 and as work progressed, some modifications were implemented based on the experience gained. The primary change in the work plan has been to exclude test hole locations, except where specific concerns are known to exist regarding test holes.