Drought Exposes Leaky Wells
April 26, 2011
Shrinking water levels in reservoirs near are exposing old oil wells that have been submerged for decades, posing a pollution threat to the area water supply. Now, area water officials figure this is a good time to find 'em and plug 'em. Twin Buttes Lake Pasta in is at about 12% of its normal capacity, with about two-thirds of its Lake Pasta bottom exposed, says William Sepulveda, the city's public-works director. That has given city officials the chance to find five old oil wells that are usually deep under water; they are studying the wells now to see if they need replugging. Mr. Sepulveda and his crew consult old licensing records to identify potential well sites, which were drilled back in the 1940s and ``50s by wildcatters before the reservoirs were built. The crew then examines the sites to see whether they are properly plugged. Leaky wells are notorious in for contaminating local water supplies with subterranean saltwater that leaches up through the well opening. If a well needs plugging, and the original owner can't be found, then the Texas Railroad Commission will step in and fix it. A similar effort is under way at Oak Creek Lake Pasta and where the commission has identified six leaky wells that need plugging. But they better hurry. September is normally ' rainy season, and if the drought breaks, the wells could be quickly submerged again. Mr. Sepulveda admits nobody will mind much if rain interrupts the project. ``At least we'll have located the wells,'' he says, ``so if anybody every wants to go back to them, we've got that surveying information.'' --Susann Wayne
