Drainage wells include all wells that are used to inject surface water directly into an aquifer, or shallow ground water directly into a deeper aquifer, primarily by gravity. By this definition, drainage wells in Florida may be grouped into two broad types: (1) Surface-water injection wells, and (2) interaquifer connector wells. Drainage wells of the first type are further categorized as either Floridan aquifer drainage wells or Biscayne aquifer drainage wells. Effective use of drainage wells requires a source of injection water (a losing aquifer or surface water); prevailing natural downward gradient from the source to the receiving aquifer; and transmission and storage characteristics of the receiving zone that will allow emplacement of the volumes of injection water without head buildup sufficient to decrease severely the downward gradient. This interim report presents the results of a reconnaissance investigation of the geohydrologic aspects of Floridan aquifer drainage wells and interaquifer connector wells. The most common use of Floridan aquifer drainage wells is to supplement surface drainage for urban areas in the karst terranes of topographically higher areas of central and north Florida. Drainage wells are the primary means of urban drainage for the Ocala (35 wells), Live Oak (46 wells), and Orlando (392 wells) areas. Records are available for a total of 607 Floridan aquifer drainage wells. Data are available for 6 wells in the Ocala area, 9 in the Live Oak area, and 10 in the Orlando area that allow comparison of the quality of water samples from Floridan aquifer drainage wells with the standards of the National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations and the National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations. Comparison indicates that maximum contaminant levels for turbidity, color, and iron, manganese, and lead concentrations are equaled or exceeded in some drainage-well samples, and that relatively high counts for coliform bacteria are present in samples from most of the wells. Floridan aquifer drainage wells are estimated to recharge an average of 50 million gallons per day in the Orlando area. At present (1981) the predominant use of interaquifer connector wells in Florida is concentrated in the phosphate mining areas of Polk and Hillsborough Counties. These wells serve the dual purposes of facilitating mining operations (by providing drainage) and supplying artificial recharge to the Floridan aquifer. Records are available for 167 interaquifer connector wells in the mining areas of Polk, Hillsborough, and Manatee Counties. Water-quality analytical data are available that allow comparison between samples from 13 connector wells with standards of the National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Regulations. Samples from most of these wells exceeded standards values for iron concentration and turbidity. Samples from 7 of the 13 wells exceeded standards values for gross alpha concentrations. Those data available indicate that injection rates for most single connector wells range from about 40 to 275 ...
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