The groundwater can be used with a heat exchanger to condition a common loop serving water source heat pumps in nearby buildings. Poor water quality might require the use of expensive heat exchanger materials, and additional maintenance and aquifer re-injection in some formations might be expensive. Standing column well. Standing column wells are feasible in areas with near-surface bedrock. Deep bores are drilled, creating a long standing column of water from the static water level down to the bottom of the bore.
Water is recirculated from one end of the column to the other.
During peak heat rejection or extraction periods, the system can bleed part of the water rather than reinjecting it all, causing water inflow to the column from the surrounding formation. This cools the column during heat rejection, heats it during heat extraction, and reduces the required bore length. If so, heat exchange with the ground, using vertical or horizontal loops, may be economical. Horizontal loops require considerably more land area but may be less expensive to install, depending on the types of soil and rock formations encountered in drilling. Ground heat exchangers are an option almost anywhere.