City manager: ‘Too early to tell’ whether more wells are in trouble

A member of the public recently appeared before the Belgrade City Council to ask city officials whether more water wells in the area could be imperiled.

Her question, posed at the June 1 city council meeting, was in response to the news that two city wells failed. Well #8 at Lewis and Clark Park was taken offline due to equipment damaged by sand and debris. Well #5 south of Interstate 90 near Yukon Lane was taken offline after groundwater levels dropped below the point needed for normal operation.

As to whether other wells in the area might be next, “It is too early to tell,” City Manager Neil Cardwell said, responding to the member of the public.

“It is known that there are many wells around our area – mostly the exempt wells – that have gone dry this year,” Cardwell said.

Last time a city well went offline in the manner of the two recent incidents was more than 30 years ago, according to Cardwell.

“We don’t have hydrological data to back up anything at this point, so it’s just pure conjecture,” Cardwell said. “But I think it’s very possible, and it will be something that we study. The wells in the more central part of Belgrade are significantly deeper than the one out to the south [Well #5], and we haven’t seen any issues with those yet, but we’re actively paying attention to it.”

Well #1 could run into trouble, Cardwell says

Cardwell indicated that Well #1, which is off South Broadway, is old and may need work soon.

"Everything in there, including the pump, is from the early 1950s," Cardwell said at the meeting. "It's continuing to chug way every day, and it is only a matter of time until that potentially has an issue as well. Sometimes we say they don't build them like they used to anymore. We don't usually get to see modern pumps last that long. However, the majority of Belgrade's water infrastructure predates the 90s, and it's catching up to us."