The City of Perry moved forward with drilling and testing for a proposed municipal water source after staff and a consultant briefed the council on the scope and urgency of work.

A city consultant told the council the test is needed to evaluate quantity and water quality, with “the main deciding factor is the PFAS, organics, and iron,” and that results will determine what treatment is required. Staff described two approaches: a push‑sampling technology that can preserve samples more quickly and a conventional drilling approach that may be more expensive but provides comprehensive data.

Council members signaled urgency because a six‑month contingency in the underlying land contract could elapse before results are available; staff said they expect preliminary technical data within a week to 10 days, with more complete results to follow. The motion on the floor to proceed with the task order was seconded and approved by the council.

Staff said the city will evaluate test results and return with treatment-cost estimates and recommendations before committing to construction. The consultant emphasized that treatment decisions hinge on measured PFAS and volatile organic compound levels and flagged THM (trihalomethane) formation potential as a factor for disinfection planning.