Geothermal Test Well Drilling at UC Clermont College Begins March 10

Geothermal Test Well Drilling will take place at UC Clermont College – on Thursday, March 10 beginning between 9-10 am and will last most of the day.

Geothermal Services, Corp will conduct the test well drilling.  The drilling will take place in north east corner of the East Lot.  The contractor will be setting a safety barrier around the area, keeping onlookers from possibly getting dirty. The proposed depth of the drilling is approximately 350-400’ and the mud/dirt spray can be upwards to 50 feet in the air. 

The college will be staging the viewing area for those that want to watch at a safe distance. 

Background on the project

In the fall of 2015 UC Clermont College began design work on a mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) upgrade for their two oldest buildings - Edith Peters-Jones and Snyder.  This extensive MEP update for the buildings will span a total of approximately four years.  The total cost of the project is $10.5 million and is being paid for with local college funds and biennial state capital appropriations.

A geothermal system is being considered to provide additional heating/cooling assistance to the campus.  The geothermal system would work in tandem with new heat recovery chillers and existing boilers to create a hybrid centralized heating and cooling system that would be much more efficient and environmentally friendly than a standalone traditional system.  This system is being reviewed separately from the overall MEP project but may be installed in conjunction with the new central plant if it is approved. 

A test well for the geothermal system will determine ground conditions, potential well depth and potential efficiency of heat transfer of a future well field which will provide important data to the college that will be needed to make a final decision on moving forward with this $1.7 million addition to the project.

Through these efforts, UC Clermont is committed to providing updated systems that create a safe, comfortable and environmentally responsible campus for all who come here to work and learn.

The college is located at 4200 Clermont College Dr. in Batavia. For campus maps: http://www.ucclermont.edu/about/directions.html

For more information about Geothermal Services, Corp.: http://www.geothermaldrillingllc.com/about_us.html

UC Clermont College is located in the center of Clermont County on 91 beautiful wooded acres in Batavia Township.  The college is an accredited, open-access college offering more than 50 programs and degrees. UC East, a Clermont County expansion in the former Ford plant in Batavia Township, opened in the fall of 2010. It is home to UC Clermont's Allied Health programs. The college is part of the nationally recognized University of Cincinnati.  For more information, call 513-732-5200 or visit www.ucclermont.edu