Board approves emergency repair after utility manager finds well parts corroded

Michael Richardson, the city's water utility manager, told the Board of Public Utilities that a production well the agenda listed as "Well 24" (Richardson referred to it as "Well 34") had a seized pump and a casing so corroded that sections crumbled when pulled, and he asked the board to declare the work an emergency and authorize replacement using the capital improvement (CIP) annual budget.

Richardson said Valley Pump pulled the pump and conducted a camera inspection that showed multiple damaged sections of casing and a seized pump. "The pump is seized up really good and needs some repairs," he said, and added that the casing "was so rusted and corroded that it was damaged beyond repair." He said the well also houses granular activated carbon equipment that is critical for TCP removal, making it important to return the well to service during peak demand.

Why it matters: restoring the well will help maintain supply in the city's peak demand season and preserve treatment capacity for TCP, a contaminant the utility treats through granular activated carbon systems. Richardson said the well had been rehabilitated about eight years earlier using recycled parts from a decommissioned well (well 11), and that some recycled components were decades old and lacked protective coatings, contributing to the current failure.

A commissioner asked whether Valley Pump was the only company asked to bid. Richardson replied, "Valley Pump was the company that I called to basically pull and inspect," and said that once he saw the level of damage he "treated it like an emergency and did not get any other bids." The transcript shows the board moved, seconded and approved the measure by voice vote; the recorded exchange included the board's voice approval but did not provide a detailed vote tally.

The board approved the emergency designation and authorized staff to proceed using the CIP annual budget. Richardson noted there are pictures of the damage in the meeting packet. The board did not record a detailed roll-call tally in the transcript.

Next steps: staff will proceed with repairs and replacement of the failed well components under the emergency authorization; the transcript does not specify a construction timeline or contractor award beyond the emergency authorization.