INVENTORY OF WELLS NEAR A FORMER
WASTE-DISPOSAL SITE, NASHUA,
NEW HAMPSHIRE, JUNE 1993
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 94-398
Prepared in cooperation with the
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION I
-------
950R94013
INVENTORY OF WELLS NEAR A FORMER
WASTE-DISPOSAL SITE, NASHUA,
NEW HAMPSHIRE, JUNE 1993
By SARAH M. FLANAGAN
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 94-398
Prepared in cooperation with the
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION I
Bow, New Hampshire
1994
-------
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Gordon P. Eaton, Director
For additional information write to:
District Chief
U.S. Geological Survey
525 Clinton Street
Bow, NH 03304
Copies of this report can be
purchased from:
U.S. Geological Survey
Earth Science Information Center
Open-File Reports Section
Box 25425, Mail Stop 517
Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225-0425
Inventory of Welle Near a Former Waste-Disposal Site, Nashua, New Hampshire
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CONTENTS
Abstract 1
Introduction 1
Data-Collection Methods 1
Well-Numbering System 3
Well-Inventory Results 3
Domestic Wells 3
Landfill Wells 3
Public-Supply Wells 3
Observation Wells 5
Summary 5
References Cited 5
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Map showing location of the well-inventory study area, the Gilson Road waste-disposal site,
and the Nashua "Four Hills" Landfill in Hollis and Nashua, New Hampshire
2. Map showing location of domestic, public-supply, and observation wells in and near the
study area in Hollis and Nashua, New Hampshire
TABLES
1. Records of selected wells and one boring in Hollis and Nashua, New Hampshire
2. Lithologic logs of selected wells and one boring in Hollis and Nashua, New Hampshire.,
Contents III
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CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM
Multiply
foot (ft)
gallon per minute (gal/min)
inch (in.)
mile (mi)
square mile (mi )
By
0.3048
0.06308
25.4
1.609
2.59
To obtain
meter
liter per second
millimeter
kilometer
square kilometer
Vertical Datum
Sea Level: In this report, "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929—a geodetic datum derived from a
general adjustment of the first-order level nets of the United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929.
iv Inventory of Wells Near a Former Waste-Disposal Site, Nashua, New Hampshire
-------
Inventory Of Wells Near A Former
Waste-Disposal Site, Nashua,
New Hampshire, June 1993
By Sarah M. Flanagan
ABSTRACT
Domestic, public-supply, and observation wells
near a former waste-disposal site along Gilson Road in
Nashua, New Hampshire, were inventoried in June
1993. Data include hydrogeologic information on 13
domestic wells, 11 observation wells in an adjacent
municipal landfill, 3 abandoned public-supply wells, 3
observation wells, and 1 test boring drilled by the U.S.
Geological Survey.
INTRODUCTION
Domestic, public-supply, and observation wells
near a former waste-disposal site along Gilson Road in
Nashua, New Hampshire, were inventoried in June
1993. This inventory was done by the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Region I.
During the 1960's and early 1970's, disposal of haz-
ardous and nonhazardous liquid waste around a pri-
vately owned garage along Gilson Road caused local
ground-water contamination (Weston, 1989). In 1981,
chemical analyses of ground-water samples from
domestic wells downgradient from the Gilson Road
site indicated that the wells were contaminated with
volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and other hazard-
ous substances (Weston, 1989). The site is currently
undergoing remediation under the authority of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensa-
tion, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980.
The purpose of this report is to (1) inventory the
location and status of existing domestic, land-fill, pub-
lic-supply, and observation wells in the study area, and
(2) list available hydrogeologic data associated with
these wells. The area of the inventory was limited to
about 1.7 mi near the Gilson Road waste-disposal site
in a residential area in southwestern Nashua, New
Hampshire (fig. 1). During the 1980's, the population
expanded rapidly because of the increase in trailer
parks and single-family homes. In addition, the munic-
ipal landfill north of, and adjacent to, the Gilson Road
waste-disposal site is currently (1993) undergoing
expansion (fig. 1).
The major surface-water bodies in the study area
include Lyle Reed and Trout Brooks, tributaries to the
Nashua River. The Nashua River is a major tributary
to the Merrimack River. The town of Hollis is just west
of the study area across the Nashua River (fig. 1). The
State and town boundaries between Nashua, New
Hampshire, and Pepperell, Massachusetts, are less than
1 mi to the south of the study area.
The surficial geology of the Pepperell Quadrangle
in which the study area is located, was mapped at a
scale of 1:24,000 by Koteff and Volkmann (1973).
The hydrogeology of the Nashua area was studied by
Toppin (1987) as part of a regional study to map the
stratified-drift aquifers and determine their basic
hydraulic properties.
The authors thank the personnel from the Nashua
Public Works Department for assisting in the location
of observation wells in the "Four Hills" landfill, and a
private drilling company for providing aquifer-test
data.
DATA-COLLECTION METHODS
Private homes were surveyed door-to-door in the
study area, and resident responses from 13 homes are
compiled in table 1 (at back of report). Observation
wells in the Nashua "Four Hills" Landfill, which were
Data-Collection Methods
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42°45'
71 "32'
71 "30'
42°43'
NASHUA "FOUR HILLS
LANDFILL
GILSON ROAD
WASTE-DISPOSAL SITE
Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey
Pepperell, Mass.-N.H. 1:25,000,
1965, photorevised 1979
Polyconic projection, Zone 19
1,000 2,000 3,000 FEET
I . I.I
EXPLANATION
STUDY AREA BOUNDARY
—- LANDFILL BOUNDARY
400
800 METERS
Figure 1. Location of the well-inventory study area, the Gilson Road waste-disposal site, and the Nashua
"Four Hills" Landfill, in Hollis and Nashua, New Hampshire.
2 Inventory of Wells Near a Former Waste-Disposal Site, Nashua, New Hampshire
-------
within the boundary of the study area (fig. 1), also were
inventoried and field checked during the survey. In
addition, original well-log, construction, and aquifer-
test data were obtained for an abandoned public-supply
well once owned by a private water company in the
study area.
well depth but not the depth to bedrock or depth of cas-
ing, with the exception of the homeowner for well
NAW-227.
Landfill Wells
WELL-NUMBERING SYSTEM
Local numbers assigned to wells and test borings
consist of a two-letter town designation—"HS" for Hol-
lis and "NA" for Nashua; a supplemental letter designa-
tion ("A", borings for hydrogeologic purposes with no
casing set and "W", for all wells in which a casing was
set); and a sequential number in each town. For exam-
ple, the 220th well inventoried in Nashua is designated
NAW-220.
About 35 observation wells were installed in the
Nashua "Four Hills" Landfill from 1983 to 1992.
Eleven of these wells were within the boundary of the
study area and were inventoried as part of this study
(fig. 2). The well in the landfill that is closest to and
downgradient from the Gilson Road waste-disposal site
is well NAW-237 (also known as MW-5).
Public-Supply Wells
WELL-INVENTORY RESULTS
The hydrogeologic data presented in this section
include site records, well-construction records, explora-
tion-borehole logs, and aquifer-test field data. A sum-
mary of the well inventory is presented in the following
sections for domestic, landfill, public-supply, and obser-
vations wells (table 2, at back of report). Locations of
inventoried wells and borings were plotted on the
l:25,000-scale Pepperell, Massachusetts-New Hamp-
shire USGS topographic map and are shown in figure 2.
Lithologic logs for 18 wells and 1 exploration borehole
are summarized in table 2.
Domestic Wells
Of the 25 private homes surveyed, 9 are still con-
nected to domestic wells, 3 switched to a private water-
supply company but still have existing domestic wells
in place, 12 switched to a private water-supply company
and removed their domestic wells, and 1, across the
Nashua River in Hollis (HSW-70), has a bedrock well
that is used exclusively for restroom facilities (for a
private hunting club).
Attempts to obtain hydrogeologic data for domestic
wells from the 25 homeowners were mostly unsuccess-
ful. Residents who still used their own wells knew the
During the 1960's, three public-supply wells were in
use in the inventory area and downgradient from the
Gilson Road waste-disposal facility (fig. 2). All three
wells have since been removed from service, and their
well casings were removed during the early 1970's. Two
of the three wells (NAW-157 and NAW-158) were
owned by a local trailer park and installed in 1959.
Attempts to obtain hydrogeologic data for these two
wells were unsuccessful.
A third, public-supply well (NAW-220) was owned
and operated by a private water-supply company on
land owned by a local trailer park. This 24-inch-
diameter gravel-packed well was drilled in November
1969. A 192-hour aquifer test, using five observation
wells, was done from December 1-9, 1969, and a 3-day
recovery test was done after the pump was shut off. A
constant volume of 1,210 gal/min of ground water was
pumped from well NAW-220 for the duration of the
aquifer test resulting in a total drawdown at the well of
29.29 ft (unpublished data on file with the Bow, New
Hampshire office of the U.S. Geological Survey). In
1976 or 1977, the decision was made to abandon the
well (Bernard Rousseau, Pennichuck Water Works, oral
commun., 1993). Written documentation is not avail-
able about the conditions around the well at the time the
decision was made to abandon the well and remove the
casing.
Well-Inventory Results
-------
71° 32'
71" 30'
42°45'
42U43'
NASHUA
"FOUR HILLS"
LANDFILL
EXPLANATION
LANDFILL BOUNDARY
WELLS — Records for wells are in table 1
NAW-231 ^ Observation well and number
NAW-225 0 Domestic supply well and number
NAW-220 (T> Abandoned public-supply well and number
Test boring
NAA-219
1,000 2,000 3,000 FEET
400
I
800 METERS
Figure 2. Location of domestic, public-supply, and observation wells in and near the study area in Hollis
and Nashua, New Hampshire.
Inventory of Wells Near a Former Waste-Disposal Site, Nashua, New Hampshire
-------
Observation Wells
On July 12-13, 1993, test-well drilling was done by
the U.S. Geological Survey on private property west of
West Hollis Street near the present-day storage facilities
(J.D. Ayotte, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun.,
1993). Three test sites were selected for drilling—wells
NAW-240 (29 ft) and NAW-241 (14 ft) nested together
at one site, well NAW-242 at another site, and boring
NAA-219 at the third site (fig. 2).
SUMMARY
An inventory of 13 domestic, 3 abandoned public-
supply, and 14 observation wells, and 1 boring was
completed in June 1993 near a former waste-disposal
site along Gilson Road in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Hydrogeologic data, including aquifer-test data, were
obtained for one of the former public-supply wells
(NAW-220). Lithologic, ground-water level, well-
construction, and other data were collected and
tabulated.
REFERENCES CITED
Koteff, Carl and Volkmann, R.P., 1973, Surficial geologic
map of the Pepperell Quadrangle, Middlesex County,
Massachusetts and Hillsborough County, New Hamp-
shire: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Quadrangle
Map GQ-1118, scale 1:24,000.
Toppin, K.W., 1987, Hydrogeology of stratified-drift aquifers
and water quality in the Nashua Regional Planning
Commission Area, South-Central New Hampshire: U.S.
Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations
Report 86-4358,45 p., 6 pi.
Weston, Roy R, Inc., 1989, Remedial program evaluation,
Gilson Road site, Nashua, New Hampshire: Concord,
N.H.
References Cited
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Table 1. Records of selected wells and one boring in Hollis and Nashua, New Hampshire
[Site No.: First two characters are the town code (HS for Hollis, New Hampshire; NA for Nashua, New Hampshire). Third
Latitude, Longitude: Accurate to 5 seconds. Type of well: Bor, test boring; BrW, bedrock well; Dug, dug well; Dvn, driven
unused. Water level: reported as feet below land surface; gal/min, gallon per minute]
Site No.
Latitude Longitude
Owner's name
Other Year Type Use of Depth
identification completed of well water of well
HSW-37
HSW-70
NAA-219
NAW-155
NAW-156
NAW-157
NAW-158
424419
424334
424315
424307
424306
424347
424349
713152
713218
713205
713107
713213
713144
713158
Hollis
Gagnon
Lone Pine Hunting Club
Nashua
Dobbens, John
Poirier, Camil
Lagios
Jensen's Trailer Park
do.
1955
—
1993
—
1936
1959
1959
Dug
BrW
Bor
Dug
Dug
GPW
GPW
H
H
U
U
H
U
U
14.1
—
20.3
53.1
45
80
NAW-220 424321
713139
Pennichuck Water Works
Jensen W-l
1969
GPW
U
67.5
NAW-221
NAW-222
424327
424250
NAW-223 424308
713151
713035
713102
Morey, Mary
Kane, Maryanne
Taylor, Richard
165.0023
1943
1987
1957
BrW
BrW
Dug
H
H
H
300
200
20
NAW-224 424325
713156
Shaw, Steven
Dug
U
NAW-225
NAW-226
NAW-227
NAW-229
NAW-230
NAW-231
NAW-232
NAW-233
NAW-234
NAW-235
NAW-236
NAW-237
NAW-238
NAW-239
NAW-240
NAW-241
NAW-242
NAW-243
NAW-244
424308
424303
424305
424307
424314
424319
424352
424352
424358
424355
424349
424340
424337
424354
424333
424333
424322
424322
424326
713142
713213
713156
713155
713202
713106
713122
713122
713116
713122
713131
713134
713115
713109
713200
713200
713203
713110
713112
Lambert, Romeo
Humphry, Lawrence & Ellen
Benson, Alfred
Whynott, Bob (renter)
Fortier, William J.
Nashua "Four Hills" Landfill
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
Dobbens, Don
do.
do.
Nashua "Four Hills" Landfill
do.
7
19
B-3S
MW-1
MW-1S
MW-3
MW-4
MW-5
MW-7
MW-8
__
_-
__
B-4
B-15-T
—
—
-
1970
1972
1964
—
1963
1990
1983
1990
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1992
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
Dvn
BrW
BrW
Dug
BrW
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
Obs
H
H
H
H
H
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
15
150
200
—
150
30
93.5
49.5
45
85
33
76
14
28
29
14
30
84.5
132
Inventory of Wells Near a Former Waste-Disposal Site, Nashua, New Hampshire
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character—W, indicates well; A, indicates boring. The numbers are sequential in the order the wells were inventoried.
well; GPW, gravel packed well; Obs; observation well. USGS: U.S. Geological Survey. Use of water: H, domestic use; U,
Casing
Screened interval (ft)
Water level
Site No.
Height
above
ground
(ft)
Depth
to
bottom
(ft)
Dia-
meter
(in.)
Top of
opening
Bottom
to
opening
Altitude
above D;
sea level
Depth
itC (ft)
Remarks
HSW-37
HSW-70
NAA-219
NAW-155
NAW-156
NAW-157
NAW-158
NAW-220
NAW-221
NAW-222
NAW-223
NAW-224
2.5
52
12
36
8
36
24
Hollis
175
185
Nashua
185
193
197
195
170
6-20-63
7-13-93
7-16-93
7-31-62
8.5
14
15.8
21.4
52
67.5
170
11-01-69 8
1.0
60
3.0
36
180
210
190
185
10-08-87
6-08-93
25
10.3
Not used for drinking water
Boring; drilled by USGS
Not in use
Destroyed in 1992.
Not in use, casing removed
Not in use, casing removed
Originally used for public supply.
During aquifer test, well was
pumped 1,210 gal/min for 192
hours from Dec. 1-9, 1969. Casing
was removed in 1976-77 because of
ground-water contamination.
Drilled by R.E. Chapman
In use
Owner reports "hard water" from
well. Drilled by Skillings
Dug well in cellar of house. Owner
also uses a driven point well about
300 ft from house. Water from this
well is used for the garden and lawn
Not in use
NAW-225
NAW-226
NAW-227
NAW-229
NAW-230
NAW-231
NAW-232
NAW-233
NAW-234
NAW-235
NAW-236
NAW-237
NAW-238
NAW-239
NAW-240
NAW-241
NAW-242
NAW-243
NAW-244
-
-
3.29
.54
3.29
.65
1.24
2.41
1.95
4.22
3.24
„
3.0
35
-
10
90
39.5
5
15
13
6
4.5
20
26.5
11.5
27.5
117
6
-
1.5
1.5
1.5
2
2
2
2
2
1.5
2
2
2
1.5
1.5
-
-
10
90
39.5
5
15
13
6
4.5
20
26.5
11.5
27.5
—
117
-
-
30
93.5
49.5
45
85
33
76
14
28
29
14
30
84.5
132
190
210
190
180
195
199.37
187.67
188.53
173.6
185.3
178.3
177.9
184.6
177.14
165
165
185
235
305
-
-
12-19-90
12-19-90
2-11-92
12-19-90
12-19-83
12-19-90
12-19-90
1-09-91
2-11-92
7-13-93
7-13-93
7-13-93
-
—
-
—
12.5
22.8
20.9
4.3
18.1
10.5
10.1
8.77
.9
11
11
21
—
--
In use
Do.
Do.
In use; in cellar of house
In use
A bedrock well also is nested here.
Drilled by All Terrain Drilling
Drilled by Soils Exploration
Shallow well nested with NAW-
232 (MW-1) Drilled by All Terrain
Drilling
Drilled by Soils Exploration
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Drilled by USGS
Do.
Do.
Drilled by Soils Exploration
Do.
Table 1
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Table 2. Lithologic logs of selected wells and one boring in Nashua, New Hampshire
Description of material
Depth (ft)
From To
Description of material
Depth (ft)
From To
NAA-219
Sand, fine to very fine; few pebble 0
Silt and sand till; few pebbles and
cored cobbles 7
Refusal, firm; probably bedrock 16
NAW-155
Sand and gravel 0
Bedrock 20
NAW-220
Sand, fine, brown 0
Sand, fine to medium 30
Sand, coarse and medium gravel 48
Gravel, coarse 50
Bottom of hole 67.5
7
16
20
30
48
50
67.5
NAW-222
Sand and gravel 0 9
Bedrock 50 -200
NAW-223
Sand and gravel 0 20
Bottom of hole 20
NAW-224
Sand and gravel 0
NAW-225
Sand 0 15
Bottom of hole 15
NAW-231
Sand, brown, organic 0 0.5
Sand, fine to medium, brown; trace of silt 0.5- 3
Sand, fine to coarse, brown 3 15.7
Silt, brown, and fine sand 15.7 - 24
Sand, fine, brown 24 28
Silt, brown, and fine sand 28 32.3
Till, sandy, gravelly; some silt and cobbles 32.3 - 36.6
Bedrock (cored 6 in.) 36.6
NAW-232
Sand, fine to medium, dark brown; some silt.... 0 5.5
Sand, fine to medium, light brown 5.5- 41
Sand, fine, brown 41 87
Till (possible, no recovery) 87 90
Bedrock (cored 5 ft) 90
NAW-234
Top soil, reddish-brown, fine sand and pebbles 0 2
Sand, fine, light brown; little silt 2 8
Silt, light brown; little fine sand 8 24
Sand, fine to medium, light brown; little silt;
trace of gravel 24 30
Sand, fine to medium, and silt, light brown 30 33.5
Sand, medium to coarse, light brown;
few gravel 33.5- 36
Sand, fine, light brown; few gravel 36 40
Sand, fine to medium, light brown 40 50
Till, silt and gray fine sand, some pebbles;
trace of clay 50 56
Bottom of hole 56
NAW-235
Fill, fine sand and silt, dark brown; pebbles 0 2
Sand, fine to coarse, brown; trace of silt 2 10
Sand, fine, light brown 10 45
Sand, fine to medium, light brown 45 75
Sand, fine, light brown 75 83
Till; silt, brown-gray; fine sand; little clay;
pebbles 83 85
Bottom of hole 85
NAW-236
Top soil, silt and fine sand, dark brown 0 1
Sand, fine to medium, light brown 1 25
Sand, fine to coarse, light brown; few gravel... 25 33
Till, silt, gray fine sand, pebbles;
very compact 33 37.5
Bottom of hole 37.5
NAW-237
Sand, medium to coarse, light brown 0 8.5
Sand and gravel, medium to coarse,
light brown 8.5 - 14
Sand and gravel, medium to coarse,
light brown; some rock fragments 14 19
Sand and gravel, coarse, brown 19 24
Sand, coarse, brown 24 29
Sand, medium to coarse, brown 29 49
Sand, medium to coarse, brown; trace of silt.... 49 60
Sand and gravel, medium to coarse, brown;
trace of silt 60 67
Sand, fine to medium, brown; trace of silt 67 74
Sand, fine to coarse, brown; little silt 74 75.5
Till, silt to fine sand and pebbles,
gray-brown 75.5. 76
Bottom of hole 76
8 Inventory of Wells Near a Former Waste-Disposal Site, Nashua, New Hampshire
-------
Table 2. Lithologic logs of selected wells and one boring in Nashua, New Hampshire—Conf/nued
Description of material
Depth (ft)
From To
NAW-238
Till, silt, sand, and pebbles 0 7.5
Bedrock (possible); cored 6.5 ft 7.5
NAW-239
Sand, brown, and organic silt 0 0.7
Sand, fine to medium, brown; some coarse
sand; little silt 0.7- 2
Gravel, brown, and fine to coarse sand; some
cobbles; little silt 2 8
Sand, fine to medium, brown; trace of silt
and coarse sand 8 18.4
Gravel, and fine to medium sand, brown;
little silt and coarse sand 18.4- 29.3
Bedrock (cored 5 ft) 29.3- 35
NAW-240
Sand, very fine to fine, tan; coarser
with depth 0 10
Sand, medium to coarse, tan; moderately
to well sorted 10 21
Sand, fine with some coarser layers 21 31
Till; loosely compacted, mostly coarse sand.... 31 40
Refusal, firm; probably bedrock 40
Description of material
Depth (ft)
From To
NAW-242
Sand and silt, very fine 0 12
Till, sandy 12 15
Sand, very fine and silt 15 24
Till; loosely compacted; more compact
with depth 24 33.5
NAW-243
Tree stump 0 1.4
Sand, gravel, clay, silt 1.49
Till, sandy, gravelly, clayey, silty 9 84.5
Bottom of hole 84.5
NAW-244
Till; fine-medium silty sand; gravel and
cobbles 0 -100
Till; same as above, but more cobbles 100 -125
Boulder 125 -126
Till, many cobbles; weathered bedrock 126 -137
Bedrock (cored 3 ft) 137 -140
«U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:! 9 94-502-42 1 /00035
Table 2
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