Greene County explores groundwater wells to bolster water supply; board weighs costs and limits

A consultant presenting to the Greene County Board of Supervisors outlined the county's experience drilling public wells and urged a cautious, phased approach to using groundwater as a supplemental water source.

The presenter said Well No. 1, drilled in 2007 near Ruckersville off Route 29, has an 8-inch steel casing, is about 242 feet deep and currently yields roughly 60 gallons per minute with a 7.5-horsepower pump. The facility, constructed in 2009, was set up for soda-ash pH control, chlorination and corrosion inhibitors; construction costs were cited at about $500,000. Well No. 2, drilled in 2009 at the county park, was described as about 640 feet deep with an approximate yield of 80 gpm and a 15-horsepower pump; the presenter estimated it would take roughly 1,100 feet of 6-inch waterline and about $1 million…