Charles River Well 3 Replacement
The Town of Needham, Massachusetts selected Weston & Sampson to design, permit, install, test, and construct a replacement well at its Charles River Wellfield. Originally installed in 1935, Gravel Pack Well #3 has seen a reduction in capacity due to excessive well screen and gravel pack plugging resulting from high concentrations of iron and manganese. Although the permitted yield for the well is 800 gallons per minute (gpm), the average pumping rate has dropped off to less than 300 gpm.
Upon confirmation of approval from MassDEP, the project will be bid out to a General Contractor for construction. Weston & Sampson will provide bidding services to the Town and will provide construction administration and oversight throughout the duration of the project. Key elements of the project include:
- Installation, development, and testing of a new 24-inch by 18-inch gravel packed well
- Installation of a pitless adapter, submersible well pump, and piping to connect the replacement well to the Charles River Water Treatment Facility
- Removal of the existing Well # 3 pump, motor, variable frequency drive, and other electrical and instrumentation from the existing pump house
- Capping and venting the existing Well #3, which will be preserved for emergency use
- Installation of new instrumentation and electrical equipment in the existing pump house, including a new variable frequency drive