The Charlestown Package Store will be heated and cooled by a geothermal system drawing water from three 450 foot deep wells.   Today we began drilling the first of the wells.

The first phase, until we hit bedrock at about 125 feet, involves digging the hole and keeping the hole open with drilling mud.   Once we hit bedrock we will set an 8 inch pipe into the hole and pump the mud out. (Yes, this is similar mud to what is being used to try to stop the runaway oil well in the Gulf of Mexico).   After we pump the mud out, we will attach a 6 inch bit and drill down through the bedrock to 450 feet.

The constant temperature of the water we pull from the wells will allow us to heat and cool the building efficiently and without using any gas or oil.   We will have more on the design and workings of the geothermal system in a future post.

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