City will likely develop shallower well
Less than positive results came from a test hole drilled for the City of Albion last week at the water tower site, where city officials had hoped to tap a new deep water source.
The hole drilled by Grosch Irrigation provided geological samples the city had hoped would indicate favorable conditions for a new well, which would tap a deeper source in the aquifer for city water. However, geological samples did not indicate this to be a good deep well location.
Mayor James Jarecki, City Administrator/Clerk/Treasurer Andrew Devine, Water Commissioner Ron Morearty, City Engineer John Zwingman, and Nebraska Health and Human Services (HHS) representative Dave Jundt met April 30 to discuss the test results.
Sue Lackey, a geologist with UNL Extension in Norfolk, had previously indicated some probability that a deeper water source would be accessible at the site. The actual geological samples indicated the site does not provide access as hoped.
However, the tests did yield some positive news, according to Administrator Devine. A range of 60 feet of productive gravels does exist in the upper aquifer. It appears this gravel formation will be adequate to sustain a high-capacity water well that could pump 1,500 to 2,000 gallons per minute.
Water Commissioner Morearty said he believes “we have access to an excellent water source in the upper aquifer.” Samples taken from nearby private wells indicate levels of selenium and other contaminants that are well below the EPA limits monitored by HHS.
After weighing many options, the city officials decided it would be best to construct a well to tap the upper aquifer.
See the Albion News Print Edition, May 6, 2009, for complete details.
