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Oakley council rescinds outdoor watering limits after new well brings more supply
Summary
The Oakley City Council voted to rescind temporary outdoor watering restrictions after a new town well began flowing into the system. Council members and public works staff described the new source, state testing requirements and ongoing power-related risks to pumping equipment.
The Oakley City Council voted unanimously to rescind emergency outdoor watering restrictions after the city brought a new well online, city leaders said during the council meeting.
The change ends a restriction that council members had imposed while the city completed work to add the new well to the municipal system. “The new well is awesome … we have it cracked open, and we're flowing at a thousand gallons a minute,” Dallas, a public works employee, told the council during the meeting.
City staff and council members stressed that the council’s action removes the formal restrictions but that residents should remain mindful of water use because utility bills are based on consumption. Mayor Zane (Mayor) moved to lift the restrictions and the motion passed by voice vote.
Nut graf: The council’s action formalizes an operational change already in effect: the new well is contributing substantial untreated artesian flow to the system, reducing near-term pressure on previously strained pumps. Staff described state-required testing and a temporary exemption from some chlorination rules while the city completes outstanding items.
Public works described the system configuration: the site has both a high-flow artesian source and a pump side that will eventually be fitted with a larger pump that is not yet installed. Staff said the new well currently supplies water by gravity flow — a configuration that reduces reliance on electric pumps and lowers operating cost. Dallas said the larger pump when installed will “run easy at 2,800” (gallons per minute) and that the current open flow is approximately 1,000 gpm. Speakers also said the city still expects to operate additional springs and the Cottonwood sources as needed.
Council members pressed staff on operational details. Staff told the council the state approved the well to be turned on earlier than originally scheduled and granted the city a six-month exemption on chlorination and related stipulations while the city completes required screens and multiple bacteria tests.
Councilmembers also noted ongoing concern about recent electric service interruptions in the area. Dallas and other public works staff said frequent power-surge cycles have damaged equipment in the past; they reported two motors and two pumps had been burned up by repeated short power cycles. Staff said operating on the artesian flow reduces dependence on the grid while the town awaits the well’s full pump installation.
Councilmembers noted financing steps related to the project: the city plans to close on a USDA loan that funded the well “in September sometime,” a council member said.
Ending: Councilmembers did not set further restrictions and directed staff to continue system testing and to return with any contract or budget items needed for a pump installation or related work. The motion to rescind the outdoor watering restrictions passed by voice vote.
