ABSTRACT
The city of Cape Coral is a residential community located in Lee County, Southwest Florida. Between 25 and 30 flowing wells tapping the Lower Hawthorn Aquifer existed in Cape Coral prior to development. Casing depth specifications for the 1982 expansion wells were made on the basis of a single well located a considerable distance away from the proposed well sites. Although corrosion problems have occurred at other facilities using 304 stainless steel, performance of wellhead assemblies at the Cape Coral wellfield has been satisfactory. The 12 new production wells were designed to tap the entire thickness of the Lower Hawthorn Aquifer and a limited upper portion of the underlying Suwannee Aquifer. New wellfield alignments were designed to spread out the cone of depression, but at the same time take advantage of regional groundwater flow gradients and existing city-owned median strips. Because of membrane sensitivity, high ferric iron materials were not used.
