Sealing a Pitless Adapter with Bentonite

[Liscombe Construction]

Good afternoon,

Our company is being asked to seal a pitless adapter with bentonite. It located approximately 3 feet down and has a 6" casing. We want to know how to properly seal the pitless. How far down do we have to go, and what should the diameter of the hole that we dig be? Any additional tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated.

Kendra

 

[Valveman]

Sorry for the delay. I am sure the rules are different where you live. Here, we must seal the annular space between the bore hole and the casing for like 25' below the pitless adapter. However, that is almost impossible to do in an existing well. What I do is dig down as deep as I can, trying not to drop any dirt down the annular space. If the annular spaced was filled with cement, bentonite, or a mixture of the two, it will need to be chipped away from the casing. If the annular space is open, great care must be taken to limit the dirt that falls in. Once the hole is as deep as I can get it, usually 6'-8'. I will seal the annular space with a small amount of cement. When the cement has hardened I go back and fill from there up to the pitless and fill in the hole above that.