AWRA Alaska Northern-Region Meetings

April 8, 2009: Mark S. Lockwood, C.P.G., Source Assessment of the Fox Well, Fox, Alaska, Shannon and Wilson, Inc.

Source Assessment of the Fox Well, Fox, Alaska

Mark S. Lockwood, C.P.G.
Shannon & Wilson. Inc.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) is the operator of the Fox Well, a Class A public water system approximately 12 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The system consists of a well, float-operated pump and 80-gallon holding tank with a two-spigot filling station open year-round to the public.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) currently performs the public water supply compliance monitoring and provides regulatory oversight for the well. The ADEC has raised concerns regarding the vulnerability of the water source due to the shallowness of the well (less than 25 feet), recent road work in the area, several increased turbidity measurements associated with precipitation events, and the past presence of fecal coliform bacteria in the water. Based on these concerns, the ADEC has requested that ADOT&PF provide them with information regarding the potential for influence of surface water on the well. This information is required for the ADEC to make a determination as to whether to change the water source classification from its current status of groundwater to groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDISW).

ADOT&PF has hired Shannon & Wilson, Inc. assess hydrogeologic conditions and potential sources of contamination surrounding the public water supply well, document well construction details, and evaluate annual water quality trends. ADEC will use is information to make their source determination. We will discuss our methodology in completing the Fox Well source assessment and present the results of our first year of data collection.