Engineers favor northwest well site

Tuesday, October 29, 2002

If they had their druthers as to where the city should place a new wellfield, engineers from Olsson Associates would rather see the city place the field at a location 10 miles northeast of McCook.

The recommendation came during a City Council study session Monday night at the Heritage Senior Center.

Jeff Johnson, an engineer for the company, told the council his company had conducted test well drilling at three sites. The first site, known as Site 1, located northwest of McCook and south of Hugh Butler Lake, showed good quality with 2.6 ppm nitrates, 7.03 ug/l arsenic and 10.4 ug/l uranium.

But, said Johnson, the well only pumped around 200 gallons per minute.

The company abandoned the second site, known as Site 3, after two unsuccessful attempts to find water.

The third site, chosen as the preferred site by Olsson Associates, is known as Site 4. The company chose this site, Johnson said, because the test pumped 350 gallons per minute and tested at 2.6 ppm for nitrates, 7.03 ug/l for arsenic and 10.4 ug/l for uranium.

Johnson said he believes the average yield in a one-mile square field could produce up to an average of 500 gpm per well.

The engineering company estimates the city uses 2.3 million gallons of water a day on average, expects that to jump to 3.4 million gallons a day in 20 years.

In order to reach that capacity, Johnson said, it would be necessary for the city to drill 17-18 new wells.

Olsson Associates estimated the cost of developing the well field, bringing the water to McCook, and distributing it through the present system at $18.7 million.

The annual cost of operation and maintenance is estimated at $51,500.

The company estimates that the new well field will cost each water customer an additional $36.80 a month.

The council is expected to make a decision on the well field selection at its regular meeting Nov. 4.

Council members will then be asked to choose between the well field solution or the treatment solution at their Nov. 18 meeting.

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