Council approves deepening of cemetery well to add redundant water source

The Clarkdale Town Council voted May 13 to approve a proposal from KP Ventures to deepen an existing cemetery well (ADWR ID 55-559554) with a contract amount not to exceed $66,673.91. The motion, moved by Council Member Jones and seconded by Council Member O'Neil, passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Public works and water staff described the well, drilled originally in 1996 to about 500 feet for cemetery use, and said declining local water levels made the source unable to meet cemetery demands. Josh Tomlin (water/staff presenter) said staff seeks to deepen the well to approximately 760 feet, recase it, remove and re-install the existing irrigation pump, and then conduct production and quality testing before any additional development or treatment decisions.

Tomlin said the well’s initial sampling in October showed an arsenic measurement of 6.6 parts per billion—below the 10 ppb maximum contaminant level cited—and that the well may avoid the need for additional arsenic treatment if testing confirms sustained water quality. He noted the current electrical and pump equipment are relatively new and can be reused while the town evaluates the well’s yield and quality.

Staff recommended, and council approved, authorizing the town manager to sign necessary documents to execute the deepening work under a cooperative contract with the City of Mesa (contract 2020112). The staff memo cited the work as advancing Strategic Goal Area 6: resilient water infrastructure.

Ending: Council authorized the deepening and directed staff to complete required sampling and regulatory notifications; further development and any treatment decisions (for example, arsenic removal) will follow testing and regulatory review.