Clearmont Council Discusses Water Well #3

The Clearmont Town Council held a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 10, to discuss how to improve on water well #3 for the town water system.

The well has been a problem since it was first drilled, with low output and excessive turbidity, which is the clarity of the water that comes out of the well.

The council was joined via phone by Jennifer Russell and Bill Brewer of Wyoming Water Development Office. Councilman Kaelan Haring also joined via phone.

Dave Engels of Engineering Associates and Jerry Hunt of Weston Engineering joined the meeting in person.

Engels talked about why they felt a special meeting was necessary to discuss the well.

In 2015 the Wyoming Water Development Commission conducted a level 2 study on Clearmont’s water, and a new water well was drilled. Even with the extensive work done on the well, the well was not much of an improvement in water quality or output over the existing well. As the other two wells are getting older, it was hoped that Well #3 would be at least a backup well for the town.

The town requested money from the state to connect the well to the existing system. One problem with the well is the turbidity, or clarity of the water. Engels presented a graphic to the council showing a cross section of the well.

He said that there were screens in the casing to help eliminate the problem. He said that the #2 screen was blocked off as they felt it was the vein where the turbidity came from. The bad news was that only about 5-10 gallons a minute were coming through screens #3 and #4.

Engels gave the town three options for the well.

Much of the money for the well has been used, so the extra money for option #3, to perforate the well casing, would have to come out of the town reserve fund.

The council agreed to address the well issue at the next town council meeting on February 17, and they will decide which option to pursue.