JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 1, 2022 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a total of nearly $75,000 to eight public water systems to plug 11 abandoned water wells. The department’s Abandoned Well Plugging Grant Program provides financial assistance to qualifying public water systems to properly plug abandoned water wells.
Left unplugged, these wells could provide a conduit for contaminants to enter vital groundwater aquifers. Grant recipients use awarded funds to contract with certified well drillers or pump installers to plug abandoned wells in accordance with all state and federal regulations.
This year’s recipients are:
- City of Sullivan - $15,000
- City Utilities of Springfield - $15,000
- City of Osage Beach - $2,197
- Charles County Public Water Supply District No. 2- $15,000
- Franklin County Public Water Supply District No. 3 - $12,145
- Missouri Arkansas Water Company - $8,363
- Camp Barnabas in Purdy - $5,000
- Richwoods R-II School District - $2,000.
“This grant is another great example of how the department uses available resources to support local efforts that help protect public and environmental health,” said Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “It’s also just one of many ways that we seek to realize our vision of improving the quality of life for Missourians.”
The Abandoned Well Plugging Grant program, administered through the department's Public Drinking Water Branch, is a valuable resource for protecting local groundwater supplies, and is available to most public water systems that use groundwater. Authorized by the Safe Drinking Water Act, grants are funded with monies received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information about the department's source water protection efforts or the Abandoned Well Plugging Grant program, visit dnr.mo.gov/water/what-were-doing/water-planning/source-water-protection.