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Committee recommends legislation to transfer Sheep Mountain No. 2 well to Town of Douglas after testing shows poor potable suitability
Summary
After drilling and pump testing, staff recommended the Town of Douglas purchase the Sheep Mountain No. 2 test well for direct drilling costs and use it as an aquifer monitoring point rather than a municipal source. The committee approved the transfer recommendation and asked staff to prepare enabling omnibus language.
The committee reviewed results from the Sheep Mountain No. 2 drilling and pump test carried out under a level‑2 study and voted to recommend legislative language enabling transfer of that test well to the Town of Douglas for the direct drilling costs.
What staff found: the completed borehole is roughly 1,350 feet deep with an open hole interval from about 455 feet to total depth. Pump testing and water‑quality analysis showed lower than anticipated sustainable yields (staff estimated a long‑term usable rate near 200 gallons per minute when protective pumping depths are considered) and elevated radiological constituents (gross alpha and combined radium 226/228) that exceed primary drinking‑water standards. Staff evaluated alternatives — blending with nearby sources, extended transmission piping, and on‑site treatment — and concluded none were economical compared with other municipal supply options.
Recommendation and committee action: staff recommended offering the completed well to the Town of Douglas for the drilling cost amount of $610,838, with the committee approving the recommendation and directing staff to include enabling language in the 2026 omnibus construction bill and to return a transfer/assignment contract for commission approval. If the town accepts the well, the transfer contract will spell out operations, maintenance and plug/abandon responsibilities; if no municipal buyer is identified, staff will either offer the well back to the landowner at the original easement consideration or proceed with plug and abandonment (estimated around $100,000) under existing policy.
Why this matters: the committee sought to balance fiscal prudence and resource utility. The drilled well did not produce a feasible municipal source without major infrastructure or treatment investments. Transferring to the town preserves the site as an aquifer monitoring point and returns most drilling costs to the Water Development program, while avoiding the higher expense of long‑term treatment or transmission modifications.
Speakers quoted: "The consultant does not recommend this as a feasible municipal source due to cost and water‑quality restraints," (George Mosier, Water Development Office). Sponsor/sponsor‑representative and landowner engagement are ongoing.
Next steps: staff will draft omnibus enabling language, prepare a transfer/assignment contract that includes operation and plug/abandon responsibility, and present the contract for commission approval once legislative authority is obtained.
