28 DECEMBER 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® (801) 541-7259 .org utahgroundwater Wellbot Offers Innovative Solutions Adapted from Information by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Earthen dams and levees rely on relief wells to prevent cracking and potential failure due to rising floodwater levels. But the maintenance and cleaning of these wells, which are deep into the dam or levee, are costly, risky, and not very effective, posing a challenge to their success. The USACE has approximately 20,000 relief wells and spent ten million dollars last year on maintenance and cleaning for roughly 1000 wells. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has developed a system to provide an inexpensive option for the USACE and its districts to effectively clean and maintain wells. Relief wells are currently cleaned every 20 years at an estimated cost of $10,000 per well. According to an environmental engineer with the ERDC Environmental Laboratory, Taylor Rycroft, conventional methods using bleach and acid to address microorganisms, as well as corrosion in wells, result in only a three to five percent improvement in well capacity. Zach Tomberg, an electronics engineer with the ERDC Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, and Rycroft created the Wellbot. This autonomous device utilizes UVC (ultraviolet-C) emitting lamps and powerful brushes to address fouling and corrosion in wells. The Wellbot package includes a ruggedized cart, solar panels, batteries, and autonomous systems for power, but can also be plugged into an electrical grid if available near the well. “With Wellbot, you can use it reactively if you know you have a well that is fouled, or you can use it proactively and just keep rotating it through your wells and prevent fouling from happening,” Rycroft said. “Cost wise, Wellbot is very inexpensive. It has minimal power requirements and maintenance requirements.” The Wellbot system is a self-sustaining water treatment technology that can be deployed by a single person in just under an hour. In a recent 14-day trial in Vermont, the system effectively removed biofilm and chemical scale from the interior screen of a relief well without any chemicals or heavy machinery. The system’s effectiveness in increasing well capacity and improving water quality will be further documented in upcoming testing, which may also determine the optimal duration for its use in wells. WTR
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