Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution amends the 2022 Water Utility Capital Budget to transfer $50,000 from Account Number UW 8 Sentinel Well (12440-86-140) to UW 14 Mitigation (11900-86-140) for engineering services necessary to conduct a groundwater/borehole characterization study at Unit Well 14. Project costs will be funded through the existing Utility Construction Fund balance and/or Utility cash reserves. No increase in Utility debt obligations or new borrowing will be required for these projects.
The 2022 Water Utility adopted Capital Budget will be amended to reflect the following:
1) ($50,000) from 12440-86-140 - Unit Well 8 Sentinel Well
2) $50,000 to 11900-86-140 - Unit Well 14 Mitigation
Title
Amending the 2022 Water Utility Capital Budget to transfer $50,000 of existing budget authority from the Unit Well 8 Sentinel Well project to the Unit Well 14 Mitigation project (Alder District 19).
Body
WHEREAS, Madison Water Utility completed the initial phase of the water quality/borehole characterization study at Unit Well 14 which determined that the well draws the majority of its water from the shallower, upper aquifer compared to the deeper, lower aquifer, resulting in elevated sodium and chloride levels; and
WHEREAS, in April 2022 the Utility, working with SCS Engineers, under non-pumping conditions, completed additional water sampling within the borehole at depths representing the deeper, lower aquifer, which upon testing, demonstrated that the lower aquifer water had lower concentrations of sodium and chloride; and
WHEREAS, these initial studies suggest that it may be possible to restrict the sodium and chloride rich waters from entering the borehole by extending the well’s casing deeper to effectively seal off the borehole from the upper aquifer; and
WHEREAS, the Utility wishes to continue this investigation by sampling the well at lower aquifer depths again but under “pumping” conditions, which will require removal of the well pump which will remove the well from service for approximately 30 to 40 days; and
WHEREAS, in order to complete this study, a licensed municipal well driller will need to be hired and special down hole sampling equipment will need to be rented as soon as the well can be taken out of service; and
WHEREAS, the Utility determined that the anticipated cost of this study will be approximately $120,000, and approximately $70,000 of existing budget authority remains in the Well 14 Mitigation project, therefore an additional budget allocation of $50,000 will be required to complete this work; and
WHEREAS, the exiting budget for the Unit Well 8 Sentinel Well project includes $50,000 of active budget authority that is not anticipated to be required for work related to the Unit Well 8 Sentinel Project and could be reallocated to the Unit Well 14 Mitigation project in support of this study; and
NOW, THE
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the 2022 Water Utility Capital Budget is hereby amended to transfer $50,000 of existing budget authority from the Unit Well 8 Sentinel Well project to the Unit Well 14 Mitigation project for engineering services necessary to continue the groundwater/borehole characterization studies at Unit Well 14.