Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water System topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Soledad council hears water-system emergency update as three wells fail; staff outlines repair options
Summary
Public Works Director Don Wilcox told the City Council that three of the city's five production wells recently went out of service, leaving two wells operational. Staff described steps to restore capacity, estimated pump costs of $30,000—5,000, and options including spares, rebuilds and a rate study to cover more frequent maintenance.
Don Wilcox, Soledad's public works director, told the City Council that the city's water system was backstopped after a string of mechanical failures that briefly reduced the system to two operating wells.
"We only have 5, so we're left with 2," Wilcox said, describing the most recent outages and the work to restore service. He said Well 10 would be back online after flushing and sampling and that Well 11 required a new submersible pump because its wiring and motor were damaged.
Wilcox described the pump that failed as a 200—250 horsepower, 540-foot-deep submersible unit. He told the council vendors report lead times of weeks to many months for new submersible pumps, and offered cost estimates for a replacement pump in the $30,000—50,000 range. He said the city prefers new submersible units for reliability but is exploring rebuilt spare options to reduce downtime: "We may want to consider having a spare," Wilcox said, noting a spare would allow a much faster swap if a future pump fails.
Council members pressed staff on the fiscal and policy implications. Wilcox explained that the city budgets cyclically for well rehabilitation and had planned to rehabilitate Well 10 this year; the sudden failure of Well 11 has forced emergency spending and may require cutting or delaying other water projects. He said the city's typical planning assumption has been a five-year life for submersible pumps, but experience and peer agencies suggest moving to a four-year rehabilitation interval.
City staff also told council they will launch a rate study to evaluate whether water rates are adequately covering ongoing operations, maintenance and capital needs. The city manager and finance director confirmed the rate study will include a CIP (capital improvement program) so council can evaluate trade-offs between lower rates and lower maintenance frequency.
The council directed staff to return with a detailed cost and timeline analysis for Well 11, options for a spare pump and recommendations for revised well-rehabilitation intervals and any related rate adjustments. Staff also said monthly warrants will show purchases and that significant emergency expenditures will be reported to council.
