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Alpine moves to fund emergency well after municipal well failure
Summary
After a municipal well suffered casing failures and severe production loss, Alpine City Council authorized the city manager to use utility enterprise funds and pursue loan options to drill a replacement well and protect system pressure and fire flow.
Alpine — The City of Alpine moved rapidly after a municipal well failed, authorizing immediate financing steps and directing staff to pursue loans and grant opportunities to restore water production.
Contract driller John Skinner told the council the well’s casing had developed multiple fist‑sized holes and gravel washout; he recommended plugging the damaged well and drilling a new well nearby to restore production. "At this point, I recommend plugging that," Skinner said, describing casing loss and water-level declines that caused cavitation and low flows. He provided a quick turnkey estimate in the neighborhood of $927,592 and cautioned the final cost could vary after logistics and shipping were included.
Utilities Director Mike Mas and city staff described a plan that would pair short-term operational fixes with capital work. Fire Chief James Etcherson said the department had verified contingency measures to move treated water to the west side distribution tanks if needed, noting the emergency plan would avoid immediate public‑health risks: "We have plenty of water. It's a matter of getting it out," he told the council.
Council debated funding paths for an urgent replacement well, including drawing on the enterprise (utility) fund balance, applying for loans, and adjusting utility rates as recommended in the city’s rate study. Rebecca Mriquez of Communities Unlimited, a rural financing partner, told council that a base-rate increase strengthens loan and grant applications because it demonstrates stable revenue to repay debt.
After discussion, council voted to withdraw the proposed immediate base-rate change, postpone a rate increase decision pending a cleaned-up rate study, and to authorize the city manager to pursue financing while using enterprise fund balance to begin emergency work. Council also approved a resolution to apply for loan funds from Communities Unlimited; the action included an explicit authorization to transfer enterprise funds for near-term drilling and related expenses, with the council expecting to ratify any budget adjustment at a subsequent meeting.
What’s next: staff will solicit firm contractor estimates and financing terms, bring a budget amendment or loan documents back to council for formal ratification, and proceed with plugging and drilling as conditions and procurement allow.
