Clinton approves bid to drill new municipal well; federal grant covers half the cost
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Summary
Clinton City authorized the first phase of drilling a new municipal well after staff described long permitting, testing and funding steps tied to a $2 million Bureau of Reclamation grant with a required 50% local match.
Clinton City Council approved the consent agenda at its May 13 meeting, clearing a bid award to start phase one of a planned municipal well project that staff say will provide a redundant water source for the city.
City staff told council the project has been years in the making: the city purchased water rights and a site in anticipation of growth, and has completed state permitting steps required to drill because the area contains soils affected by a former Hill Air Force Base contamination plume. Staff said those reviews are complete and the project is now ready to move to drilling.
The city has secured a $2,000,000 grant from the Bureau of Reclamation that requires a 50% local match. Staff advised council the drilling contract released for phase one covers only the drilling work; equipping the well (installing pump and motor) will be a separate, significant cost and likely similar in magnitude. Staff estimated the well bore will be drilled to roughly 900 feet and cased with 16-inch casing, then test-pumped for roughly a week to verify flow and water quality before ordering long‑lead equipment.
City staff said they expect to design the well to produce about 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm) for equipment sizing but noted the actual production will be confirmed by test pumping; "if the well can only produce a thousand gallons a minute, we'll have issues with the equipment," a staff presenter said. The bidder intends to begin drilling near the end of the month and work around the clock until that phase is complete; staff said contractors will construct temporary sound walls to reduce noise and that drilling could take about a month.
Staff also explained a procurement constraint tied to the federal grant: the Buy America/Build America procurement clauses limit available casing options. The city had requested seamless casing for added corrosion resistance, but staff said bidders could not provide that option while meeting the federal requirements; instead the project includes higher‑strength alloys as a corrosion‑resistant option. Staff reported roughly 30% of recent municipal wells use some form of corrosion-resistant casing but that stainless steel casings were judged cost-prohibitive for this project.
Council approved the consent agenda motion that included the bid award; the motion passed as part of the consent vote. Staff said the next steps are to finalize contracts, begin drilling work if paperwork is complete and then perform the test pump and water-quality sampling required by state regulators before proceeding to the well-equipping phase.
Why this matters: Clinton is supplied by multiple sources; council and staff described the new well as a redundant local source intended to maintain service if off-site conveyance lines are interrupted. The project shifts some capital cost onto a federal grant but triggers procurement rules that reduce some equipment choices.
What to watch next: staff said they will return with updates after the test pump and when they have firm timelines for the equipping phase and associated matching funds.