The Grounds-Changes Task Force determined that the well located on the north side of the building was never abandoned when UUCW’s water supply was switched over to city water.
Realizing that we were out of compliance, the team worked to move forward on the well abandonment process. The team determined, with Board approval, that Remington Well and Pump Service would be hired for this service.
On October 26, 2021, Remington began by removing the pressure tank from the mechanical room in the lower level of the church. Next, they removed the wiring from the well along with almost 300 feet of piping and the pump. The pipes were connected to the wiring with electrical tape. It was lucky that they were still sticking to the pipe which allowed for the pipe to be removed.
The pipes connected to the pump had corroded and falling apart, but the contractors were able to get the entire pipe out of the well.
They cut the large casing pipe to a depth 12 inches below ground using an acetylene torch. They measured the well depth to determine how much material was needed to fill the well up. It was on record that the well was 300 feet deep. When they measured, by using a 300-foot tape measure weighted down to get to the bottom, it was determined that it was around 275 feet deep. The water began 60 feet into the well.
The last step was to fill the entire well with bentonite chips that will harden like concrete to permanently seal the well.
They laid down plastic and used a wooden guide to pour the material straight into the hole of the well.
Now our 60-year-old well is just a grass-less spot near the building.
The Grounds-Changes Task Force is a group appointed and charged by UUCW Board of Trustees to plan for and implement changes to the UUCW grounds necessitated by the North Avenue construction project and potential sale of the East Property. For more information, please contact Jim Maletta.
