Background

In 2018, the utility had two groundwater wells located at two different sites within its service area on the east side of State Route 90 (SR90). Approximately 80% of the water connections were located on the east side of the highway, while the other 20% were on the west side. There was one 4-inch waterline connecting the east and west sides of the system. At the time of certification, water production capacity and transmission did not comply adequately with the standards necessary to meet service demand on the west side of the highway. As a result, those households were experiencing low water pressure on a daily basis, creating a risk for backflow and cross-contamination problems in the distribution system. Additionally, there was insufficient redundancy in the system, making the infrastructure and service vulnerable to interruption and poor reliability.

Project Scope

The project consisted of drilling a new well (Well No.3), construction of the structure to house the well, and the installation of pump equipment and chlorine disinfection, as well as installation of a 615-foot water main to connect the new well to the distribution system serving both the west and east sides of SR90 and equipment and electrical upgrades at the two existing well sites. The new water supply would become the primary water source for the entire system, with Wells No. 1 and No. 2 functioning as backup supply.

Benefits

The new well and interconnection line have increased access to safe and reliable drinking water service for 459 existing residential service connections and eliminated pressure problems for homes on the west side of SR90. While the electrical upgrades to Wells No. 1 & No. 2 were not carried out due to lack of funding, the two wells continue to serve as an adequate backup water source.