Baker City hears update on ASR wells, recent pipe breaks and switch back to meter-based billing

A staff member from the city's public works department briefed the Baker City Council on April 8 on the operation of the city's aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, recent water-main breaks and a planned change in how residents will be billed for water.

The presentation reported historical ASR volumes, explained testing and operating cycles, and named both operational limits and costs: "Our data is collected on a water year, which is October 1 to September 30," the staff member said. The city reported recovered water totals of 78,779,000 gallons for 2022'1 (listed as '2, 23' in the presentation), 44,446,000 gallons for 2023'4, and 13,748,000 gallons year-to-date as of April 3. The staff member said the city's permitted injection limit is 240,000,000 gallons per year and that running the ASR wells continuously would raise power costs "approximately $13,000 per well per month."

Why it matters: the ASR system stores excess source water underground for recovery during peak-demand or drought periods. Councilors pressed for clarity about where water injected at the golf-course well reenters the system and how often samples are taken.

Staff described the two ASR wells'one by the treatment plant and one at the golf course'and said injection typically occurs from December through April while recovery occurs from late June into September. "So 1 of the conditions of our [permit] is that we have to test the water both going in and coming out. So we do that no less than quarterly," the staff member said, adding that sampling sometimes requires activating the wells and pumping while tests are taken.

The briefing also covered production volumes sent to the ultraviolet treatment plant (the water that is treated and placed into distribution). The staff member listed produced-water amounts as 852,970,000 gallons for 2022'3 and 93,885,500 for the next reported year (as given in the briefing). The presenter said the second ASR well did not come fully online until late fall 2024, so production is expected to increase as that well is used.

Councilors asked whether water from the golf-course well is treated before it enters distribution. The staff member confirmed it is: "There's a small chlorination unit out there, so it will then go back in the system." The presenter also noted the city must monitor nearby aquifer wells to avoid drawing down the shared aquifer.

The council also received a separate operations update on water billing and recent distribution failures. A staff member responsible for finance and billing said the city is shifting away from annual averaging and returning to meter-based reads. The staff member said the billing transition uses a four-cycle schedule across eight zones; the first bills under the new system are scheduled to go out in April for zones 5 and 6, with the remaining zones to follow. "We are reconciling everybody's water usage from the time that they were doing actual usage until now," the staff member said, and warned that some customers may see an additional bill while others may receive reimbursements as accounts are reconciled.

Staff also told the council about recent pipe failures in the city's east-side distribution network. The manager said soil conditions in parts of the system have accelerated deterioration of ductile and cast-iron pipe. Two major breaks occurred recently on Broadway between Birch and Well Street; staff said local quotes to complete the immediate repairs were received and are under the water budget threshold for council action.

Councilors asked follow-up questions about monitoring, cost drivers and whether ASR wells could be used more aggressively; staff repeatedly cited cost and permit limits as constraints. No formal action was taken; staff said they would continue monitoring and bring required items back to council if budget or permit changes are needed.

The presentation combined operational data, near-term repair needs and the billing transition; the council did not vote on changes to ASR operations at the meeting.