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Council awards consulting contract for groundwater test holes as city seeks more reliable local supply
Summary
Council authorized a contract with Ludorf & Scalamini for groundwater test‑hole drilling and evaluation (staff cited $288,563 in the staff report); the test well will sample water quality (about every 10 feet) to about 1,000 feet and could be converted to a monitoring well if production quality is inadequate.
The City Council voted March 18 to award a contract to Ludorf & Scalamini for groundwater test‑hole drilling and evaluation as part of a municipal water‑system plan to identify a new production well site near the high school.
Staff said the contract covers a test well that will be drilled and sampled at intervals (samples are expected roughly every 10 feet during drilling) to characterize lithology and water quality; the planned maximum depth discussed at the meeting was approximately 1,000 feet. City engineers told the council that the test well will help determine arsenic concentrations and overall viability for a production well and that, if the test hole is not a production success, it can be converted into a monitoring well to meet state reporting needs.
A council member asked about the accuracy of test‑well sampling after citing a prior well that tested at one concentration and produced at a higher arsenic level; staff said the tests are generally accurate but production wells can exhibit different chemistry when placed in production, and water‑quality treatment or deeper drilling can be considered later at additional cost.
Council moved, seconded and approved the contract award by roll call. The staff report listed the consultant amount as approximately $288,563; staff clarified the award covers test‑hole drilling, evaluation and subsequent recommendations for production‑well development.
Staff said next steps include finalizing drilling permits, coordinating the temporary right‑of‑entry with the River Delta School District (the proposed site is on the north end of the high‑school property) and beginning the test procedure, after which the city will evaluate treatment, blending or deeper drilling options if arsenic or other contaminants are present.
