The Inyo County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 23 approved an emergency budget amendment to fund immediate repairs to the main fire well at Bishop Airport after an in‑well pump failure left the system unable to supply required fire flows.

Ashley Helms, Deputy Public Works Director, told the board the contractor found the pump had failed: “the pump had failed and the shaft between the turbine motor at the top of the well and the pump, at the base of the well had sheared.” A contractor recovered the failed pump and quoted replacement costs. Helms requested a $75,000 amendment to cover parts, labor and contingency; the board approved the request and declared the repair an emergency to allow expedited contracting.

Short‑term fix and timeline: The contractor can order the replacement parts immediately; lead time for the new pump is approximately two to three weeks. Helms recommended replacing like‑for‑like now so the system would resume its previous capacity and then continuing to evaluate system improvements.

Longer‑term options: County staff described two potential next steps. One would be to upgrade the fire well system with a variable‑speed controller and a modest storage tank to better balance domestic and fire‑flow needs; preliminary engineering estimates for such upgrades could be under $300,000 if outside funding is available. The other would be consolidation with the City of Bishop water system, which would require at least one mile of new pipeline to connect systems and would be pursued with state technical assistance and possible SAFER consolidation grants. Staff said consolidation would take substantially longer and depend on available funding and coordination with the city’s planned West Line Street water main replacement project.

Ending: The board approved the emergency repair to restore reliable fire protection at the airport and directed staff to pursue grant and technical assistance options to evaluate a more sustainable solution. Helms said she would return with a refined plan and funding options for longer‑term system upgrades or possible consolidation.