Replacement Well Drilling at Golf Club of Avon

The Golf Club of Avon retained Weston & Sampson to conduct a water-supply feasibility study (WSFS) for their 27-hole, private golf course.

The club’s irrigation system consists of a surface-water withdrawal from a lined irrigation pond as well as groundwater withdrawals from two gravel-packed wells screened in the underlying sand and gravel aquifer. The groundwater and surface-water withdrawals are registered with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEEP) Water Diversion Permit (WDP) program.

The club’s existing primary well was originally drilled in 1960 and had a reported well yield of 500 gpm (gallons per minute). The club reported that the well was producing a fraction of the original well yield, and that the local municipal water supplier was no longer able to sell them water as a supplemental source, leaving the club with both an irrigation water deficit and no backup source. Video inspection of this well determined that it had already been relined once and that the screen had reached its life expectancy.

Weston & Sampson designed a feasibility study to investigate the development of additional onsite irrigation sources. We evaluated installation of both overburden and bedrock wells and development of additional onsite surface-water sources. Based on our findings, we determined that installation of a gravel-packed irrigation well screened within the sand and gravel aquifer was the most feasible and prudent option for mitigating the club’s irrigation water deficit.

Weston & Sampson partnered with Hager-Richter Geoscience, Inc. to conduct a seismic refraction survey within the 250-foot radius surrounding the failed well. The seismic refraction survey data was utilized to identify the deepest areas of the saturated sand and gravel aquifer, and to select two (2) test well locations

Teaming with S.B. Church Company, a Weston & Sampson company, we drilled two (2) test wells and conducted short-duration pumping tests on the wells.

Following completion of the test well program and review of the results, our firm selected the location for the replacement well. Weston & Sampson oversaw the drilling of the replacement well, which was performed by S.B. Church. We also prepared geologic logs describing the sediments, collected sediment samples, and performed grainsize distribution analysis on sediments collected from the selected screen zone. The data was then used to design a 30-inch by 24-inch gravel packed well that was constructed in the sand and gravel sediments. S.B. Church developed the new well using a combination of mechanical surging, airlift, and pumping. Following development, Weston & Sampson hydrogeologists conducted a variable-rate step test and constant rate pumping test to evaluate the sustainable well yield and select an appropriately sized submersible well pump.

The WSFS also determined that a CTDEEP registered, but currently unused, surface-water source could serve as a valuable backup water supply. Weston & Sampson hydrogeologists conducted a bathymetric survey of the pond to determine the storage capacity and evaluate the benefits of dredging. The bathymetric survey was used to create a stage-storage curve and determined that the pond contained adequate capacity and connection to the aquifer to serve as a valuable backup source.

The completed production well is estimated to have sustainable yield of approximately 400 gpm, which will mitigate the club’s existing irrigation water deficit. Reinstallation of a pumping system in an existing pond that is already registered with the CTDEEP will serve as a valuable backup source to the new well.

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