Abandoned and unrecorded wells may act as conduits for the contamination of groundwater. Both monitoring and water supply wells can be difficult to locate when buried by soils or pavement.

Missing wells can be costly in time and money. If a well is lost, often a new well must be installed in its place. If these wells are lost during the analysis process and a new well is drilled you may have to begin the analysis process over again. Monitoring wells are essential for analysis to determine the amount, type, and spread of contaminants.