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Knox County water officials report Well 6 rehab, seek permit and financing for Well 7
Summary
County water staff said a rehabilitation of Well 6 is complete but cost an unplanned $50,000. Staff expect a renewed Ohio EPA PTI permit for Well 7 this week and are seeking refined estimates for the larger second phase of work to plan financing, aiming to have Well 7 online by late summer 2026.
Jeff, head of Knox County Water and Wastewater, told commissioners the department completed rehabilitation work on Well 6 and returned it to service after an unanticipated $50,000 expense paid from the current budget.
Jeff said Well 7 is out for bid but the county’s installation permit had expired during the project. "We should get the new permit this week," he said, after meeting with Ohio EPA staff to confirm there have been no material changes at the site. Bids are scheduled to open Jan. 1, and Jeff said he asked regulators to treat the review as a top priority so the county can proceed on schedule.
Staff and commissioners discussed costs for the work. Jeff said the engineers’ estimate for the first phase (drilling, sampling and pump testing) was about $94,000, and that the second phase — installing well housing, power, pumps, piping, flow meters and control panels — produced larger-than-expected estimates. He said the county has asked Arcadia, the engineering firm named in the discussion, to refine the phase-two number before year end so commissioners can develop financing options.
Jeff explained the permit-to-install (PTI) process for wells is atypical: drilling and water-quality testing often come before the PTI is finalized, because drilling provides the data regulators need to approve installation plans. He also said the PTI process requires an updated wellhead protection plan focusing on a 300-foot zone around each well; Ohio EPA staff highlighted that a previously unknown gas well sits within the aquifer’s impact area near the site.
Jeff said the county’s front 100,000-gallon tank was drained, cleaned, chlorinated and tested; bacteria samples were negative, and the tank was returned to service the prior week. Staff also performed internal inspection of the back tank using a remote rover and reported the back tank did not need to be drained. Separately, the department completed septic-tank cleaning in Bladensburg where needed and refurbished treatment distribution arms to improve permit compliance ahead of January sampling.
Looking ahead, Jeff said the county is targeting late summer 2026 to bring Well 7 fully online, noting the second phase’s estimated costs will determine financing and timing. He told commissioners the department will update them at the next meeting once refined estimates are available.
The board did not take a formal vote on project financing during the meeting; staff were directed to obtain more detailed estimates and return with recommendations.
