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City says Well 5 is offline after elevated nitrate result; other wells supplying water and monthly testing planned
Summary
City staff reported that well number 5 has been taken offline after a quarterly sample showed elevated nitrate levels below the maximum contaminant level. Officials said the town’s other wells meet needs, the distribution water is safe, and monthly testing and state guidance will guide next steps.
City public works staff provided an update on the status of Well 5 during the Newman City Council meeting on Jan. 28, saying the well is offline after laboratory sampling showed an elevated nitrate concentration and that the city is awaiting guidance from the state Department of Drinking Water on compliance and next steps.
Staff said the well was removed from the distribution system as a precaution and that other wells are supplying water to meet demand. “The water in town is safe to use for all regular uses, including drinking and cooking,” the public works presenter said.
Officials said Well 5’s most recent quarterly sample measured about 8.43 milligrams per liter of nitrate; the federal and state maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate is 10 mg/L. Staff said that, over an October–January reporting period, Well 5 contributed roughly 2% of the city’s distributed water and that, had it been placed on the system during that quarter the elevated water would have been diluted by the other wells’ output.
City staff told the council the sampling frequency for Well 5 will increase to monthly while the city and the state water board develop a compliance plan. Staff said future tests will be taken “to waste,” meaning the well will be run for sampling but its water will not be sent into the distribution system; permitted discharge options will be used instead. Staff said laboratory analyses are performed by certified environmental laboratories in the region.
Council members asked about trend analysis and long‑term planning. Staff said nitrate presence in groundwater originates from multiple sources and does not necessarily follow a simple linear trend. The city said future well siting or replacement work would include sampling and investigative monitoring wells as part of due diligence.
Staff also reported local water‑main repair work on Von Renner and an upcoming Jensen Road construction start scheduled for Feb. 5 (closure from Highway 33 to Fig Lane). There was no council vote tied to the Well 5 update.
