Agenda - Council - 10/29/1985 - Special

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City of Ramsey -4- 10/15/85 2) 3) 4) 6} 8) lO) 11) 12) The potential yields of the water-bearing strata when tapped by wells will be determined from existing well records. The permeabilities of the strata will be calculated, since permeability is of qreat importance in estimating the travel of subsurface water from the Landfill in all directions. Shallow ground water movement in the area of the Landfill is to the southeast. Direction of movement of the water in the sandstone aquifers is assumed to be in the same direction, but these need to be unified. The operations of any large wells near the landfill could reverse the direction of water flow if the drawdown in such a well is substantial. Judicial choice in locating new city wells will be included in the conclusions of our.study. The present city well is about 1.9 miles southeast of the Landfill. Anoka city wells are located about a mile further to the southeast. The characteristics of these wells and this operation will be obtained and studied to determine the area of influence of that pumping center. The PGA reports that 22 monitoring wells have been installed near the Landfill. Depths of these wells will be determined, to assure that any movement of pollutants in both the shallow and the deeper water- bearing strata can be detected. Preliminary study shows that the water level in wells drilled into the St. Laurence, Franconian, and Galesville-Ironton formations is higher than the water table. This means that water in the sandstone aquifer is under artesian pressure. Such an occurrence is the reverse of the normal relationship of water levels in successive aquifers. This fact in the Ramsey situation could affect the movement of contaminants outside the Landfill area. The influence of this phenomenon will be carefully studied. Recharge by local precipi'tation to the aquifer will be studied. As a partial basis for judging the cost of the development of ground water for the City of Ramsey, we will prepare a suggested water supply facility assuming that the landfill did not exist. We will obtain information on actions taken by St. Louis Park and New Brighton because of contamination of existing wells in those communities. We will suggest courses of action in the event that pollution from the Landfill should occur in any well in existence. If shallow wells are contaminated, it would be practical to replace them with wells drilled into one of the deeper formations, making sure that new wells are care- fully grouted through the upper layers to prevent vertical seepage along the well casing into the sandstone when the new well is being pumped.