White Rock System Update
Last updated: May 15, 2024
Project Update
- Well 2 was taken out of service on April 22 for redevelopment and put back into service on May 8.
- The redevelopment process improve the well’s production capacity from approximately 4 gallons per minute to approximately 10 gallons per minute.
- Because Well 1 and Well 2 are interconnected, Well 1 also improved from less than a gallon per minute to over 3 gallons per minute.
- This improved production capacity eliminates the need for bulk deliveries to meet basic domestic uses.
- The next step is to redevelop Well 3, which is currently producing less than 5 gallons per minute. This work will be scheduled in the near future.
- Until this additional work is completed, outside water uses are prohibited.
Customer Communications
Aquarion staff met with community members on Wednesday, March 27. Presentation slides can be viewed below.
Abenaki Water customers affected by the well redevelopment project were sent a letter on April 11 announcing the project's start. The letter can be viewed below.
Community Meeting – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Two were replaced last year. They are located:
- Near the corner of Rocky Point Drive and Shore View Drive.
- Near the corner of Rocky Point Drive and Old Coach Road.
The remaining three will be replaced this year. They are located:
- Near the corner of Surrey Coach Lane and Hemlock Road.
- Near the corner of Surrey Drive and Hemlock Road.
- Near the corner of Rocky Point Drive and Oak Ridge Road.
The data is transmitted to the company’s servers where it is stored in a database of operating data. This is an internal database used by operations and engineering staffs and is not accessible by the public.
The majority is trucked from the Manchester Water Works Department. A few loads are obtained from the Bow Water Department.
Normal system demand exceeds the production capacity of Well 3. Bulk deliveries make up the difference.
- Liquid CO2 is pumped down into the well and into the bedrock fractures that allow water to flow into the well.
- Liquid CO2 dislodges bacteria and sediment that have plugged the fractures.
- Some of the CO2 vaporizes and the resulting gas bubbles also help dislodge bacteria and sediment.
- The temperature of the CO2 (-35o F) also kills bacteria and freezes water in the fractures. The resulting ice expansion also dislodges sediment.
- CO2 and water are surged back and forth in the fractures, then flushed to clean out the fractures.
- After flushing shows that CO2 and sediment has been removed, the water is tested to confirm that no contaminants remain before the well is put back into service.
Yes, CO2 is not a contaminant and leaves no residues in the well.
Yes, the well is isolated from the rest of the system, and redevelopment has no impact on system pressures.
Because the redevelopment will take 10 to 14 days, a tank would have to be able to hold up to 150,000 gallons to last long enough to avoid bulk deliveries. Temporary tanks of this size are not available.
The company is scheduling daily deliveries at about 10:30 a.m.
- The company has stopped pumping Well 1 because data shows that is pumps from the same bedrock fractures as Well 2.
- Drilling deeper will not improve its capacity. It will continue to compete with Well 2 for water in the same fracture. Deeper fractures are also under greater pressure so they are not large enough to provide larger volumes of water.
Yes.
The company’s engineering department submits applications for both grants and low interest loans, however most state funding is being directed towards PFAS and lead service line replacement projects.
An appointment is made for a service technician to come to the customer’s house to replace the meter.
Typically 10 or 15 minutes, unless access to the meter is blocked.
Such meters are available in the industry, but not currently used by the company. The cost of replacing existing meters and adding the necessary communications systems does not make this a cost-effective option. However, the company tracks meter readings and informs customers of high readings that may be indicative of a leak. It is also easy for a customer to observe the meter directly to see if there is an an active leak at home. Go to our How to Find Leaks page to learn how.
Yes, if an appointment is scheduled with plenty of advance notice. You may also schedule a separate appointment to shut off the service for this work.
This can be done if the shut off valve works properly.
The company maps its systems within a geographic information system (GIS) which tracks locations, materials, repairs and main breaks, and other information. However, for security reasons these maps are not available to the public.
See slide 7 in the presentation. This leak averaged 4 gallons per minute (5,760 gallons per day) between January 1 and January 25. Fixing it reduced total daily pumping volume by a third.
- Wells 1 and 2 were drilled in 1966.
- Well 3 was drilled in 1987.