A well should be:

A well should be:

• A. Protected from back-siphoning of pesticides
• B. Located within 100 feet of the pesticide mixing and loading site
• C. Near the pesticide storage facility
• D. Cut off below the soil surface and abandoned when no longer useful

Answer: (A)

Protecting a well from back-siphoning of pesticides is crucial to keep drinking water safe. Back-siphonage happens when pressure in the water system drops, causing water to be drawn backward into the well and potentially pulling pesticides from mixing, loading, or storage areas into the supply. To prevent this, a well should have measures that stop backflow, such as backflow prevention devices or air gaps, proper well construction, and barriers that separate pesticide operations from the wellhead. Keeping pesticides away from the well and maintaining good spill control around pesticide activities also reduces the chance of any contamination reaching the groundwater. The other options would increase the risk of contamination or are unsafe practices: being near the mixing/loading area or near the storage facility creates pathways for spills to reach the well, and simply cutting off a well below the soil surface and abandoning it is not an approved or safe method for handling a nonfunctional well. Proper abandonment requires proper sealing to prevent future contamination.

Protecting a well from back-siphoning of pesticides is crucial to keep drinking water safe. Back-siphonage happens when pressure in the water system drops, causing water to be drawn backward into the well and potentially pulling pesticides from mixing, loading, or storage areas into the supply. To prevent this, a well should have measures that stop backflow, such as backflow prevention devices or air gaps, proper well construction, and barriers that separate pesticide operations from the wellhead. Keeping pesticides away from the well and maintaining good spill control around pesticide activities also reduces the chance of any contamination reaching the groundwater.

The other options would increase the risk of contamination or are unsafe practices: being near the mixing/loading area or near the storage facility creates pathways for spills to reach the well, and simply cutting off a well below the soil surface and abandoning it is not an approved or safe method for handling a nonfunctional well. Proper abandonment requires proper sealing to prevent future contamination.