Weston Engineering, Inc. (WESTON) was established in 1978 to provide groundwater engineering services to the coal and industrial industries in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. Since its inception, WESTON has expanded its expertise and capabilities in groundwater engineering, resulting in providing these services to other consulting engineering firms, municipalities, agricultural enterprises, and industrial concerns throughout the Northwestern United States.
WESTON differs from other hydrogeologic and groundwater engineering consulting firms in the region by also maintaining and operating five drilling rigs with depth capabilities of up to 5,000 feet, a pumping equipment design, sales and service business, and serving as State of Wyoming-certified operators for small community water and wastewater systems. Because of WESTON’s special expertise in groundwater engineering, well servicing and rehabilitation, as well as operation and maintenance of small water and wastewater systems, much of our work is completed for other engineering and geotechnical consulting firms – both in Wyoming and elsewhere. WESTON’s drilling and pumping equipment and controls design center is in Upton, Wyoming. The Laramie office concentrates on groundwater-related engineering, geology, and geochemistry as well as environmental research, design of wastewater disposal systems, environmental site assessments, and wellhead protection plans for small water systems and communities.
GROUNDWATER ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE
WESTON staff has been working on major Wyoming groundwater exploration and development projects for over 35 years, leading to a breadth of experience that extends beyond the State of Wyoming’s boundaries into Washington, Utah, Montana, and South Dakota. Our groundwater experience includes wells producing from 40 different geologic formations. Our general water supply system experience includes hydrogeologic analyses, identification and cost comparison of alternatives, as well as design and construction management services on well appurtenances, pump installation, tie-in pipelines, well houses, transmission lines, storage facilities, and distribution lines.
WESTON’s personnel have completed projects for the Wyoming Water Development Commission, the Wyoming Recreation Commission, the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish, the Wyoming State Parks Department, and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. In addition, they have completed projects for many municipalities, subdivisions, industrial concerns, various agricultural interests, resorts, and lodges.
Well and Aquifer Evaluation Services
Because of our expertise as an engineering/contracting firm, WESTON is uniquely qualified to conduct turn-key drilling and testing of water wells in addition to evaluation of existing water supply wells. Our staff is qualified to complete the entire aquifer and well evaluation process beginning with a hydrogeologic evaluation and ending with sufficient concrete information about the well to make an informed decision regarding the condition and capacity of the well.
WESTON’s Well Evaluation Team, which consists of professional geologists, an engineer, and a rig crew, can move on-site and evaluate the data from a well as it is generated in a sequential process that allows for real-time and confident decision-making in the field. Our services include: comprehensive records review and interpretation, video logging, bond logging interpretation, long- and short-term pump testing, water quality sampling, pump evaluations, and other services as needed. We are equipped with large capacity pumps and generators that allow us to conduct pump tests on high-production wells. Additionally, we have supporting equipment, such as pump pulling units, discharge piping, and flow meters.
As a Wyoming-licensed contractor WESTON can conduct the assessment process while minimizing interruptions to water service. We also can rehabilitate a well as part of an evaluation to minimize service interruptions. Rehabilitation services include brushing the well casing and screens, chemical treatment, water quality monitoring, well development, installation of airlines, pump testing, and reconfiguration of the wellhead and plumbing to comply with DEQ and State electrical code requirements. We also provide recommendations for operation strategies to maximize the efficient operation of a wellfield.
WESTON’s approach to well and wellfield evaluation is to determine the reason for evaluation through discussion with the client. Once the reason for the evaluation has been determined, WESTON customizes the well evaluation program to fit the particular needs of the situation. While each evaluation program is different, typical evaluation program components may include:
- Interviews of owners and/or contractors
- Review of relevant permits, construction, and maintenance records
- Review of water production and water level data
- Review historic water quality data
- Inspection of the wellhead, piping, storage, and pump controls
- Remove and inspect pumping equipment
- Video log of well if there are down-hole issues suspected
- Cement bond log of steel-cased wells as needed
- Well rehabilitation, if required, to restore productivity and efficiency
- Water quality sampling (field and laboratory)
- Installation of airlines or pressure transducers to facilitate future water level measurements
- Step-rate pump testing to evaluate well efficiency
- Constant-rate pump testing to evaluate aquifer parameters and predict long-term well yield
- Provide assistance, as needed, for bringing water rights into compliance
WORLAND WELLFIELD EVALUATION
The City of Worland Husky-Worland Well No. 1 and Worland Well No. 3 are completed in the Madison Limestone and are among the largest municipal flowing well systems in the country. An evaluation of the wells was needed because: (1) the actual capacity of the wellfield was not known; (2) the Worland wellfield was to become one of the major sources of supply for the Bighorn Regional Joint Powers Board (BHRJPB); and (3) it was anticipated that by adding the BHRJPB the demands on the wells would increase significantly. Because of the magnitude of the financial investment in the wells and concerns about the integrity of the wells, the City of Worland asked the WWDC to fund a thorough study to determine the feasibility of conducting a flow test of each of the two Worland wells. WESTON reviewed all available permit and construction documents for the two wells and conducted a cement bond log of Husky-Worland Well No. 1 and a cement bond log and video log of Worland Well No. 3. WESTON also identified the permits and equipment that would be required for a flow testing program for the large-capacity wells. Based on the data review and a careful analysis of the Worland wells WESTON determined that testing of the Worland municipal wells was feasible and should be conducted. WESTON’s contracting division out of Upton, Wyoming successfully conducted a flow test program on Husky-Worland Well No. 1 at rates up to 3,290 GPM and Worland Well No. 3 at rates up to 9,000 GPM during the spring of 2006. The testing program indicated that the wells are highly productive but not as prolific as represented in the past.
OTHER WELL EVALUATION PROJECTS
WESTON has performed well evaluation services for a wide variety of water supply wells throughout Wyoming, Utah, and South Dakota. In addition to evaluating and pump testing high producing Paleozoic wells such as the Husky-Worland Well No. 1 and Worland Well No. 3, WESTON has conducted well evaluation and rehabilitation services for many inconsistently performing wells completed in nearly every major aquifer throughout Wyoming. A partial list of water systems WESTON has provided well evaluation/rehabilitation services to is:
City of Worland
Town of Star Valley Ranch
Town of Clearmont
Town of Kaycee
Town of Marbleton
Town of Big Piney
Town of Rolling Hills
City of Riverton
High Meadow Ranch I&S District
Town of Wamsutter
Northend Water Users I&S District
Mountain View Acres I&S District
Peoples I&S District
Antelope Valley I&S District
South Fork Estates I&S District
Freedom Hills I&S District
Bennor I&S District
Winchester Hills
Mount Pisgah Cemetery
Bethlehem Cemetery
Colonial Pine Hills
Edness K Wilkins State Park
Guernsey State Park
Little America – Cheyenne, WY