Wellhead Protection Program

Monitoring

Based on the amount of time it takes a drop of water to travel from its source, through the Mint Farm aquifer and to the City's wellfield, a boundary was created to define the limits of the aquifer and establish an area for wellhead protection. 

Map Showing the Wellfield

Sampling Events

As part of its Wellhead Protection Program, the City collects groundwater samples from deep sentinel wells surrounding the Mint Farm wellfield every six months to look for changes in water quality. In addition to compliance sampling required by the Department of Health, the production wells are also sampled annually as part of wellhead protection. View summary reports and laboratory results from past sampling events in the Archive Center.

The most current sampling event occurred in October of 2019 but no report has been finalized yet.

Data Analysis

The City uses a live data engine to compile and analyze the data contained in the semi-annual Water Quality Reports.  This allows the data to be trended and visually displayed such that large volumes of data can be more easily monitored and interpreted. Copies of the complete workbooks for each of the wells can be downloaded below:

Analytic Documents

  1. Tech Memo May 2021 Sampling Event (PDF)
  2. Attachment B - May 2021 Analytical Reports (PDF)
  3. DMW-1 May 2021 (PDF)
  4. DMW-2 May 2021 (PDF)
  5. DMW-5 May 2021 (PDF)
  6. DMW-6 May 2021 (PDF)
  7. DMW-7 May 2021 (PDF)
  8. DMW-9 May 2021 (PDF)
  9. Tech Memo OCT 2020 Sampling Event (PDF)
  10. Attachment B - Oct 2020 Analytical Reports (PDF)
  11. DMW-1 October 2020 (PDF)
  12. DMW-2 October 2020 (PDF)
  13. PW-3 October 2020 (PDF)
  14. PW-4 October 2020 (PDF)
  15. DMW-5 October 2020 (PDF)
  16. DMW-6 October 2020 (PDF)
  17. PW-2 October 2020 (PDF)
  18. DMW-7 October 2020 (PDF)
  19. DMW-9 October 2020 (PDF)

An example of the dashboard look used for analysis.

Dashboard Look of Water Quality Workbook

Other Analytic Documents

Wellhead Protection Sampling Analyte List (PDF) - A complete list of the analytes tested for as part of wellhead protection sampling including health based screening levels.  To define the risk to human health if an analyte is detected at a concentration which exceeds the screening level, a "criticality value" has been assigned to each analyte based on carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and reproductive effects, as well as overall toxicity.

Monitoring Well Sampling Program (PDF) - A list of routine Department of Health test panels and special interest analytes originally recommended for semi-annual sampling events including recommended testing frequency, Environmental Protection Agency test method and estimated laboratory costs.