The City of Hartford was in critical need of additional water supply capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand of its businesses and residents, as well as to compensate for the loss of supply from state-mandated well closures in recent years.

In 2005, Hartford successfully located a high-capacity well site that could achieve the City's short-term water supply goals. However, the unique and unstable nature of the subsoils at the site meant that conventional well grouting techniques could not be used, as the potential for the grout to migrate to the well screen and ruin the well was significant.

To solve this problem, SEH recommended a non-standard tertiary grouting technique more commonly used to stabilize riverbank slopes and cofferdam installations along shorelines. This innovative application of a non-standard grouting method meant that the required sanitary seal for the well could be successfully installed in a very difficult sand and gravel aquifer.

Hartford's Well 16 Water Treatment Plant is a near zero liquid discharge facility, and not only creates the best quality water for the City of Hartford, it also more than doubles the City's water supply capacity. The plant is also Wisconsin's first municipal groundwater treatment facility that uses plate settling technology in filter backwash water reclamation operations. The more than 99 percent filter backwash water that is reclaimed has the potential to serve the annual water needs of 125 Hartford residential customers.

Additionally, Well 16 was constructed using a pitless adapter (i.e., no well building). This well design feature, commonplace throughout the U.S. but new to Wisconsin, allowed the treatment plant building to be constructed 200 feet away from Well 16, in an area removed from the known problems of loose and unstable sand and gravel subsoils.

"SEH exceeded Hartford's needs by developing and implementing a project approach that reflected innovation from start to finish," said City of Hartford's Director of Utilities, Darnell Wagner. "SEH's ability to respond aggressively to the needs of our community will have a significant impact on the quality of our water supply and the corresponding public health for many years to come," he continued. "We believe the project reflects an exceptional commitment to engineering excellence in every facet."