Well failure might leave town dry in emergency
Canal Winchester asks Pickerington for OK to draw some water if it?’s needed
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Kirk D . Richards
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
One of three wells in Canal Winchester is broken beyond repair, and the village wants permission to draw water from one of Pickerington?’s wells.
Pickerington City Councilman Ted Hackworth, who chairs the Service Committee, said he would be willing to support the village?’s wish as long as something is offered in return.
''Canal Winchester must get our permission to pump from it,'' Hackworth said. ''We should be compensated for it.''
Canal Winchester Mayor Jeffrey Miller said he would be open to that.
''It?’s an emergency,'' Miller said, insisting that details can be worked out later. ''If it?’s something unreasonable, obviously, there?’s a limit to what we can do. But we can come to an understanding.''
The well that Canal Winchester wants to draw from is within the village?’s borders, but is controlled by Pickerington under a 1996 agreement.
The well that failed was a backup and was used sparingly. But if anything happens to the other two ?— such as a pump failing ?— the village would struggle to supply water to the 2,100 homes and businesses it serves.
A screen in the well collapsed, and the EPA doesn?’t allow it to be replaced, the mayor said. The screen prevents sand and gravel from coming through when water is pumped into the pipes.
The loss of the aging well, built in the 1940s, comes at a time when the village is working to build a new water-treatment plant to serve a growing population.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has restricted each well to producing 300 gallons a minute, said Canal Winchester?’s water superintendent David Riley.
''Now, we?’re running everything we have to supply the demand,'' Riley said.
The mayor also is concerned that firefighters would lack the water needed for a major blaze.
Upon hearing that one of the three wells had failed, Madison Township Fire Chief Clifford Mason phoned his counterparts in neighboring departments to develop a contingency plan. Mason said multiple jurisdictions would send tankers with thousands of gallons of water if a large fire were to occur.
''We wouldn?’t have to depend solely on the water system,'' Mason said.
The village also has two unused wells between Bowen and Gender roads just north of Rt. 33, but their proximity to an overpass that the Ohio Department of Transportation is planning has raised environmental concerns.
''We?’re worried about contamination if there?’s a wreck up there,'' Miller said.
Meanwhile, the village is considering how to pay to build a new water-treatment plant this year at an estimated cost of $3 million.
The current plant can process 720,000 gallons a day, and the village wants one that can process 2 million gallons a day.
The additional capacity would help with the residential and commercial growth in the area.
''You never know who?’s going to knock on your door and say, ?‘We want to build this. Can you serve us??’ '' Riley said.
krichards@dispatch.com
Canal Winchester asks Pickerington for OK to draw some water if it?’s needed
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Kirk D . Richards
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
One of three wells in Canal Winchester is broken beyond repair, and the village wants permission to draw water from one of Pickerington?’s wells.
Pickerington City Councilman Ted Hackworth, who chairs the Service Committee, said he would be willing to support the village?’s wish as long as something is offered in return.
''Canal Winchester must get our permission to pump from it,'' Hackworth said. ''We should be compensated for it.''
Canal Winchester Mayor Jeffrey Miller said he would be open to that.
''It?’s an emergency,'' Miller said, insisting that details can be worked out later. ''If it?’s something unreasonable, obviously, there?’s a limit to what we can do. But we can come to an understanding.''
The well that Canal Winchester wants to draw from is within the village?’s borders, but is controlled by Pickerington under a 1996 agreement.
The well that failed was a backup and was used sparingly. But if anything happens to the other two ?— such as a pump failing ?— the village would struggle to supply water to the 2,100 homes and businesses it serves.
A screen in the well collapsed, and the EPA doesn?’t allow it to be replaced, the mayor said. The screen prevents sand and gravel from coming through when water is pumped into the pipes.
The loss of the aging well, built in the 1940s, comes at a time when the village is working to build a new water-treatment plant to serve a growing population.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has restricted each well to producing 300 gallons a minute, said Canal Winchester?’s water superintendent David Riley.
''Now, we?’re running everything we have to supply the demand,'' Riley said.
The mayor also is concerned that firefighters would lack the water needed for a major blaze.
Upon hearing that one of the three wells had failed, Madison Township Fire Chief Clifford Mason phoned his counterparts in neighboring departments to develop a contingency plan. Mason said multiple jurisdictions would send tankers with thousands of gallons of water if a large fire were to occur.
''We wouldn?’t have to depend solely on the water system,'' Mason said.
The village also has two unused wells between Bowen and Gender roads just north of Rt. 33, but their proximity to an overpass that the Ohio Department of Transportation is planning has raised environmental concerns.
''We?’re worried about contamination if there?’s a wreck up there,'' Miller said.
Meanwhile, the village is considering how to pay to build a new water-treatment plant this year at an estimated cost of $3 million.
The current plant can process 720,000 gallons a day, and the village wants one that can process 2 million gallons a day.
The additional capacity would help with the residential and commercial growth in the area.
''You never know who?’s going to knock on your door and say, ?‘We want to build this. Can you serve us??’ '' Riley said.
krichards@dispatch.com
