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Council discusses Well 1 replacement options as filter media approach 40 years old
Summary
Staff urged a proactive approach to Well 1, noting filter media used for decades and recommending either full replacement or pilot testing of modern modular filters; members discussed funding, pilot testing costs and whether to tackle one well or bundle multiple wells for economies of scale.
Council and staff took significant time examining Well 1 and options for filter media replacement, rehabilitation or full replacement. Staff warned the existing filter media was decades old and said a proactive replacement approach would provide certainty about the project's scope and costs, even though initial capital outlays would be higher.
"I think at a minimum, we've we've gotta start spending money on something," a staff member said when urging action on aging well infrastructure. The group discussed pilot testing new high‑loading filters (estimated pilot testing of roughly $12,000–$15,000 per test) and whether to do one well first, which would limit initial cost risk, or to test/replace two wells together to share pilot testing and loan application advantages.
Board members asked staff to gather engineering proposals, talk to financial advisers about packaging borrowings, and collect accurate cost estimates for a phased approach. Staff also noted some grant/loan application thresholds (historical guidance that DNR/others favored projects of roughly $300,000 or more for certain funding routes) and cautioned that application and environmental work add cost and time.
