Aquifer Study Update: 

2019 Final Aquifer Study Release

 

Enfield Final Aquifer StudyIn response to the Enfield Community’s requests to better understand our water resources, the Enfield Town Board enlisted the help of the Tompkins County Planning Department and the USGS (United States Geological Survey) to conduct an Aquifer Study. This work commenced as a result of the Town’s effort to prevent slick-water hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in our town in 2010-2013. An Aquifer Study was a condition of our Moratorium on Gas Drilling of 2012 – the precursor to the current Ban on Gas Exploration, Storage, and Drilling Activities.

The long-awaited study is now complete and available to view online.

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Geohydrology of the Unconsolidated Aquifer in Enfield Creek_20170412

At the March 9, 2016  Enfield Town Board meeting there was a presentation by Ed Buglioso and Bill Kapelle of the United States Geological Service on the Town of Enfield Aquifer Study

Mr. Buglioso stated Enfield contracted for an aquifer study that is now in its fourth year. He described the approach they are using and explained the work that was completed in 2015. Six wells were drilled at three locations. Two wells were drilled on town land by the new highway facility. The first was a shallow well with good quality water. The second was deeper with poorer quality water. The town can decide what they want to do with those two wells once the study is completed. The proposed work for 2016 will include well drilling at one more site and continuing to collect well information from wells that are being drilled for new homes, along with collecting water quality samples. The field work should be completed in 2016 with the final report completed in 2017.

At the Town Board meeting on May 11, 2016, Supervisor Ann Rider reported that the last well was drilled and more information was collected for the study. The ongoing work of the Aquifer Study will provide detailed information to help the town in future planning and help protect the Town water supply from possible contamination. The study would not have been possible without the support of Enfield community members. The study information will be available for the public to read and utilize on the future.

A slide presentation of the Aquifer Study Update

Geohydrology of the Unconsolidated Aquifer in Enfield Creek_20170412

pdf – Enfield_Presentation_03092016

Power Point – Enfield_Presentation_03092016

 

Ben fisher and Bill Kappel (emeritus) completed six wells at 3 sites in the Enfield Creek valley on 11/16/2015. The drilling commenced the previous week on Wednesday 11/11/2015. Through inclement weather the first week, the crew drilled with Frey Drilling of, Alden NY. The drilling was contracted by the Town of Enfield as part of the Enfield Aquifer study, underway for 3 years now, and funded by the Town of Enfield, Tompkins Co. Planning Dept. (drilling funded separately by the County), and the USGS. Additional drilling may be done in the spring with the remainder of the drilling funds supplied to the Town by the County.

All depths to bedrock were greater than estimates from H/V seismic and from local DEC homeowner’s well logs. The depths ranged from over 140 feet in the southern deepest part of the valley to about 60 feet in the northern more shallow part. Two confined aquifers were found in the southernmost and central valley sites, and an unconfined and confined system in the northernmost site. Pressure transducers were placed in all wells to provide seasonal information for the aquifer system.

Water quality will be collected from all wells drilled either this fall or next spring to characterize the aquifers. Conductivity measurements indicated the southernmost lower aquifer is more saline than the central valley and northernmost systems, something we haven’t seen in most of the other aquifer studies.Enfield Aquifer Study Presentation

Aquifer Discussion:

Town Board Minutes-August 08 2012

Town Board Minutes-September 12 2012

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