City study finds Swiss Village dirty‑water problem confined to one well; treatment cost deemed too high

Osage Beach — Public works staff reported Feb. 6 that a pilot study of the Swiss Village wells found elevated iron and manganese in one well (Swiss 2), and recommended against pursuing a roughly $12 million combined treatment system. Instead staff favor drilling a new production well at an estimated cost of about $1.18 million.

Operations manager Zach Wilbur described the SEH pilot study results. He said raw water averages from Swiss 1 and 3 were below the city’s operational targets for iron (0.3 mg/L) and manganese (0.05 mg/L), while the Swiss 2 well showed higher levels — iron near 0.2 mg/L and manganese averaging about 0.1 mg/L. “The studies showed that the raw water samples … Swiss 2 has the highest iron and the highest manganese load by far,” Wilbur said.

Treatment options and costs: The consultant’s recommendation was that oxidation, chlorination and green‑sand filtration could reduce metal residuals to nearly unnoticeable levels. However, the estimated total project budget was roughly $12,000,000; staff told the board that cost did not justify treating a single problematic well.

Operational choice: Because Swiss 2 has been placed in emergency status and is used only when needed, dirty‑water calls have dropped since the change. Staff recommended drilling a replacement well — estimated at about $1.18 million — as a more cost‑effective long‑term solution. The board signaled consensus with the new‑well approach during the department update; no formal vote was required.

Technical and service implications: Staff noted Swiss 1 and 3 cannot alone carry peak summertime demand without multiple pumps; Swiss 2 remains available as an emergency backup if needed. If the city later adds a third or fourth well, staff said they could remove and properly abandon Swiss 2.