Council hears engineering, financial plans for wells, treatment and water‑line replacements

Junction City staff and outside advisers on Tuesday outlined a short list of water system projects the council should prioritize, including new wells, a possible water treatment plant to address iron and manganese and extensive distribution line replacement — and sketched how the work might be financed.

City engineer Rod Henry said the city’s near‑term water priority is completing two new wells and associated infrastructure. He described Raintree (and a related Overdale/“Alderdale” well search) and said finishing the Overdale/Raintree well effort is estimated at roughly $5.5 million; the city’s “first‑priority” water package (wells plus prioritized line replacements and an updated water master plan) was shown in staff materials at about $11.7 million. Henry said the city’s broader water capital improvement plan runs substantially higher — several tens of millions of dollars — and that a…