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Engineering firm urges Manaway to plan for new well; estimates rehab and drilling costs, outlines grant paths
Summary
An engineering representative told the council Manaway’s older well is sand‑producing and that options range from a $300,000–$400,000 rehabilitation to a new well costing roughly $1.5–$2 million; he recommended pursuing federal resiliency grants and offered the firm’s help with applications.
An engineering firm representative told the Manaway Town Council on Sept. 18 that the town’s aging well infrastructure needs near‑term attention and that several technical and funding options exist.
Lance Nielsen, a water‑resources engineer who identified his firm as Hansen Allen & Loos (a water resources engineering firm based in the Salt Lake area), briefed the council on two main options: rehabilitate the older, sand‑producing well (by pulling and replacing the liner and re‑gravel packing) at an estimated cost in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars (presented as roughly $300,000–$400,000, depending on conditions), or drill a new rotary/gravel‑pack well with new pump station infrastructure at an estimated all‑in cost of about $1.5 million to $2 million. Nielsen said a new well also would allow the town to restore and rehabilitate the older well afterward, and that drilling a replacement within roughly 150 feet of the existing site is feasible without additional water‑rights notification.
Nielsen described the town’s current operational limits: the newer well produces roughly 575 gallons per minute but runs heavily in summer; the older lined well produces roughly 275–325 gpm and produces sand, which creates maintenance problems and reduces reliability. He told the council that state Division of Drinking Water rules require redundancy sufficient to withstand loss of the largest source, and that Manaway’s instantaneous capacity is constrained under current conditions.
On funding, Nielsen said the Bureau of Reclamation and other programs run resiliency grants that could match a significant portion of the cost (he described matching‑grant possibilities and said such programs often cover a share of a project while requiring local match). He said his firm helps communities pursue grants and can assist with planning and application work. Nielsen estimated an accelerated timeline of about four months from design/approval to drilling mobilization in a best‑case scenario, but stressed the town should anticipate additional time for design, permitting and contracting.
Why this matters: council members were told the town’s water supply lacks the redundancy the state expects during peak pumping, and that the older well’s sanding problems mean it cannot be relied upon as a standby source without remedial work or replacement. The council asked staff to consider financing, timeline and grant options and to follow up with the engineer’s office for possible next steps.
Ending: Nielsen offered to measure specific options and help seek grants; council members asked staff to pursue cost estimates and grant pathways with the firm’s assistance.
