On July 24, 2023, the Board of Directors authorized staff to undertake a two-year pilot project beginning in fiscal year 2024, at a cost not to exceed $35.000, to collaborate with Wellntel to investigate the feasibility of using the Wellntel® Groundwater-Level Information System to develop an advanced aquifer monitoring network in Calhoun County.

The district anticipates the deployment of the Wellntel® Groundwater-Level Information System will improve the monitoring program of the district by 1) increasing the amount of data collected regarding water levels and water quality in terms of measurement frequency (continuous measurements versus synoptic/ad hoc measurements) with the use of the Wellntel Water Level Sensor, 2) increasing operational efficiency by reducing data processing labor and transportation costs associate with monitoring efforts (e.g., eliminate post-processing of sensor data, reducing travel cost to well sites, etc.), and 3) increasing access and use of monitoring data for assessing aquifer conditions and regulatory compliance with permitting.  

Wellntel is the first real-time groundwater-information system designed to give communities the insight needed to sustainably manage their groundwater.

The system uses next-generation acoustic sensor technology and a cloud-based visual and analytical platform to turn domestic, industrial and agriculture wells into real-time monitoring networks, engage stakeholders, identify risk and inform management decisions.

With Wellntel, private well owners can:

• view long-term, continuously-collected aquifer-level measurements for their well
• view and assess water level drawdown and recovery information to better understand local impacts of groundwater production
•  set and receive owner-specified operational alerts
•  collaborate with water resource professionals to develop valuable data

With Wellntel, communities can:

• build real-time, continuous-collection aquifer monitoring networks quickly and cost-effectively
• create datasets with spatial and temporal elements necessary for evaluating current aquifer conditions and trends
• develop vital information to support science-based management of groundwater resources
• contribute to the sustainable management of groundwater

For more information about joining the Calhoun County Advanced Aquifer Monitoring Network, contact Tim Andruss at tim.andruss@vcgcd.org or Charles Dunning at cpdunning@wellntel.com.