Is all well in the well?

HIGH SPRINGS – High Springs depends on two water wells to provide their water service for the entire city. With the wells getting old, some residents worried that it might be time to replace them.

“The wells are in poor condition, and we use them so much, we really need them both working at 50 percent capacity just for daily water flow,” said resident Ross Ambrose, who self-identifies as a politically active citizen.  

The reason that the well field and the water supply have gotten into this situation could be deferred maintenance. Every city in Florida that operates on a well system has to deal with constant upkeep and handle these maintenance issues. If High Springs does not resolve the situation soon however, it could pose a problem for residents, Ambrose said.

Rodney Hoffman, the foreman for utilities over the water and sewer for High Springs, said that the wells are operating at the desired levels.

“We currently pump out about 660 gallons of water per minute from the water wells,” Hoffman said.

Age is often the greatest enemy when it comes to something like water systems, and it is no different in this case. Lavern Hodge, the former public works director for the City of High Springs, said that the wells were put in in the 1970s, making them around 40 years old. It was really a matter of time before the wells would need to be fixed or replaced, she said.

“When I left the city in 2010, there had been plenty of talk about work for the wells already,” Hodge said.

Hoffman said the city has recently done extensive work on the first well, after its motor burned out. The motor was replaced and the pump was refurbished, in a repair that cost around $11,000, Hoffman said. The city just got the okay to put the well back into the ground and resume normal operation last week, he said.

Amrbose said he believes there could be problems with the second well, and more changes could still be made.

“It’s an infrastructure issue, first of all,” Ambrose said. “If for some reason, one of the wells were to go out of service for any length of time, we could be without water.”

In the past, there have been proposals on the table to correct the problems with the city’s wells, but the commission never made a decision, he said.

Several years ago, an engineering firm offered a plan to install improvements to the system, but the city decided to wait, Ambrose said. There is also land that High Springs owns that was designated for the use of a new well field, should it decide to replace the wells.

Hoffman said he believes that High Springs has some of the best water in the state coming out of its aquifer, and the only time there is ever really trouble is when there is a massive amount of rain. The tests always come back great for the wells, he said.

With the first well being repaired, Ambrose could be hearing his wish answered.

“To me, the best way is to use a new well,” Ambrose said. “But regardless of what the plan of action is, I hope it is soon, or it could spell trouble for much of High Springs.”

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