GroundUnder Lucas
The ground under Lucas.
Southeast of Mansfield the ground changes. ODNR describes steep, bedrock-controlled ridges separated by broad, flat valleys, with the drift getting thin toward the southeast. Rocky Fork cut through a narrow bedrock saddle east of Lucas when the glaciers rearranged the old drainage, joining Black Fork on its way to the Mohican.
With little drift on the ridges, wells here rely on sandstone. The Black Hand is a massive, coarse sandstone and the Logan mixes sandstone with siltstone and shale. ODNR reports fractured zones yielding up to 100 gallons per minute in eastern and southern Richland County. In the Rocky Fork valley itself, wells can finish in sand and gravel instead.
The water
Sandstone wells often bring iron, and hardness is common. Hillside wellheads see a lot of runoff, so caps and grading around the casing matter.
Permits
Richland Public Health covers Lucas and Monroe Township. Homes over the line in Ashland County go through that county’s health district. B&E is registered with the Ohio Department of Health as a private water systems contractor (9999-PWSC-26-000029).
Geology: ODNR, Ground Water Pollution Potential of Richland County (Report 63).
Q&ALucas questions
Asked around Lucas.
My Lucas well is on a hillside. Does that matter?
It can. Runoff flows toward low spots, and a wellhead without a sealed cap or with the ground sloped toward it lets surface water in. The casing should stand above grade with the ground sloping away from it.
Why is my Lucas well water rusty?
Iron, which is common in sandstone aquifers. A lab test shows how much, and whether manganese or iron bacteria are part of it, so the right filter goes in the first time.
Do you cover Pleasant Hill and the Mohican side?
Call (419) 566-9589 with the address. B&E will tell you straight whether it can get there.