Town of Wawarsing New Groundwater Source

Due to impacts from leakage from New York City’s Delaware Aqueduct, the Town of Wawarsing received funding to form a new water district to serve approximately 275 homes and businesses.  Working closely in connection with our water supply engineering section, LaBella Associates hydrogeologists assisted the Town of Wawarsing with a comprehensive investigation to find and test a groundwater supply for this new water system.

Our Wawarsing groundwater investigation began with an extensive soil boring program on several sites. Given the varied hydrogeologic terrain of these sites, a combination of drilling techniques were utilized. These included both Geoprobe® direct push and sonic drilling techniques. Based upon the results of the test drilling program, a highly productive, deeply buried glacial aquifer was eventually discovered at one of the sites. This location was on land owned by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Three 8-inch diameter production wells were subsequently installed to depths of 165 to 172 feet utilizing a dual-rotary rig. These wells were successfully pump tested at rates of 76 to 168 gallons per minute. Two pumping tests were conducted, confirming that the new wellfield safely produces 242 gallons per minute with the largest producing well out of service. Overall water quality was good, with hardness and manganese treatment planned.

A hydrogeologic pumping test report was prepared by LaBella and submitted along with the engineering report and other required documents to the NYSDEC. A NYSDEC Water Withdrawal Permit was subsequently issued by New York State.