By next week, that discoloration in the San Juan Bautista tap water could be all cleared up, and the city’s building moratorium could be lifted as well.
That’s because the city is preparing to go online with its new Well No. 6, City Manager Michaele LaForge confirmed to San Benito Live.
“The well is coming along very nicely. It’s trenched,” she said. “They’re going to lay the pipe to connect the new well to the city system tomorrow.”
She said the well has passed tests for water quality and environmental issues.
“So we’re thinking it could be online by next week,” she said.
That would result in an immediate improvement to the color of the water being pulled from Well No. 5, which has shown an orange-like tint in recent times due to high levels of iron that don’t mix favorably with chlorine used to treat it. The resulting discolored water isn’t unhealthy, but it isn’t pleasant, either, for the users in San Juan who have to swallow the reality of it.
Even more significant for the Mission’s City economy and coffers is that the new well would result in the lifting of the town’s moratorium against new housing hookups that’s been in effect for several years.
The lifting of the moratorium means residents could prospectively move into the 150 new homes being built in two developments on both sides of town. Right now, there are 13 homes in one subdivision where families are waiting to move in, LaForge said.
“As soon as the well goes online, they’ll sign their paperwork,” she said.
As for the well makeup in San Juan, the city has three wells that provide potable water, and LaForge insisted there are no health risks now that the previous issue with high nitrates is under control.
LaForge said the new Well No. 6 will provide clear water, but she also mentioned how the city purchased a filtration system for Well No. 5, the one that has pumped out discolored water. That system will be installed in March, after which there won’t be discoloration issues. That will come in handy in the event the city needs to take Well No. 6 offline for maintenance issues.
As for costs on the new well, LaForge said each new well put in by the city comes at a price tag of about $500,000.’
Photo caption: New homes are being built in San Juan Bautista.
