The Edwards Well #1 is pumping again after the cause of its November 2019 failure proved less serious than feared.
“It wasn’t the pump, it wasn’t that, it was literally the actual well shaft,” Mayor Cory Thompson said during the Special meeting held last Tuesday, January 14. “The bearings had gone out. They just had to pull everything apart, put in new bearings, put it back together.”
The inspection and repairs performed by San Antonio’s Alsay, Inc., cost around $22,000, well beneath the $57,000 quote approved by Council during an Emergency meeting on November 19, 2019.
“They took the pump in to get it inspected and everything, and everything came back good,” Public Works Director Ismael Carrillo said.
With the Edwards Well #1 back online, the City is pumping water from it, Edwards Well #2, and the Bain Well, which draws from the Carrizo Aquifer.
Both the Harrison Well and the LC Martin Well, which also pull water from the Carrizo Aquifer, remain down.
The Harrison Well, located on City-owned property on Tuttle Dr. behind Devine ISD’s transportation department, failed in 2019 after its casing and screen wore away. Carrillo said the City was still debating whether to drill a new well on new property, or continue to try and obtain a sanitary control easement in order to drill a new well on the City property.
During the Council meeting held on June 25, 2019, City Engineer Raul Garcia estimated the cost of drilling a new well at between $300,000 and $350,000.
Council awarded an $384,000 contract to repair the LC Martin Well to TTE, LLC during the meeting held on October 15, 2019. Grant money from the Community Development Block Grant (TxCBDG) is providing $247,250 for the project.
Carrillo said that filters for the LC Martin Well are currently being built, and estimated they would be ready to install in February.
By Marly Davis
Staff Writer
