The Monkton Planning Commission is creating a map of geological resources in town and it's asking property owners to contribute by letting them know about their wells. They're hoping to gather as much information as possible before the end of this week and they're offering prizes to help get the job done.
"The end result of this study will be a map of geological resources, including groundwater recharge areas," a project notice states. "The study will use water well data to help map the geologic materials and layers across our town."
To get there, the town is asking property owners to fill out an online survey with the following information:
- 911 address of the lot the well is on
- The GPS location of the well
- Any number on the well tag
- What the well is used for – residential water supply, farm animals, business, no longer in use, etc.
- Any well data or history, such as depth, gallons per minute, and who drilled or dug it
"We want to know what and where the geologic materials are so we can better understand how groundwater recharges our wells in Monkton," the project notice explains. "We all get our drinking water from wells so knowing about how our water gets replenished is very important toward keeping our water safe and clean."
The planning commission says the data will be used to avoid potential damage to wells, in the event of utility or construction work. As an added incentive, the project notice states survey participants will have the chance to win some prizes:
People who participate and have their wells located for this study will be in the pool of 25 households who will get a free complete well water analysis (valued at close to $200), so water chemistry can be a part of this study. To thank you for participating we will draw names randomly from those that complete the survey for a $25 gift certificate for the Monkton General Store. If you help your neighbors who are unable to complete this task, we will put your name and theirs in the hat for the prize. So your name will go in the hat for every well you submit.
The planning commission says it is aiming to have as much information as possible collected by July 1.
