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Maple Canyon well repair will cost city about $190,000; officials urge conservation during repairs
Summary
Public works reported holes in the Maple Canyon well casing; the slip-line repair plan increased total project cost and Woodland Hills' 40% share is now roughly $189,000. Staff said water enterprise funds cover the cost and asked residents to conserve during a roughly two-week repair window.
Woodland Hills public-works staff reported a problem with the Maple Canyon well that supplies part of the city’s water. Ted, the city’s public-works speaker, told the council crews found holes in the well casing; a contractor’s initial slip-line solution encountered a misalignment and the repair plan was adjusted.
Staff explained crews installed a 12-inch casing to 350 feet but could not advance further because of misalignment; the contractor will remove the 12-inch, weld a 10-inch casing to the bottom, and reinstall the assembly with a new pump and discharge column. The total cost for the repair rose from an earlier estimate of about $250,000 to roughly $480,000. Woodland Hills’ share—40% of the joint project—was described as about $189,000 (staff later rounded to roughly $200,000 in conversation). Ted said the water enterprise fund contains reserves adequate to cover the city’s portion.
The schedule slipped: the repair completion was pushed about a month later than planned and staff said the immediate timeline would likely require approximately two weeks of modified operations while components are replaced. Public-works staff outlined temporary mitigation steps, including using booster-station bypasses and dialing pump speeds to pump from storage tanks and the lower system to cover demand; the booster station can provide an estimated 700–750 gallons per minute with adjusted operation, and staff said that could be increased to about 900 gallons per minute with additional adjustments.
Public-works staff recommended targeted conservation messaging to residents rather than immediate mandatory restrictions. Staff said they would consider temporarily reducing park watering and contacting high-usage customers (for example, churches and other large users) to ask for voluntary reductions. The city’s water account remains functional and staff said they will provide updates if conditions change.
Why it matters: The repair is a sizable, near-term expense for the city’s water system and may require water-conservation measures while the temporary solution is in place. The city plans to fund the cost from the enterprise fund rather than the general fund, and said it has reserves to cover the expense.
