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Williams’ wells crucial for dry summer<br>

A dock sits on dry land at Kaibab Lake waiting for more water. The city of Williams has been pumping well water into the lake for the past few weeks. As of Feb. 10, the lake was about 10 percent full.

With only one well operating, Williams would probably need to begin hauling water in late June or early July, said Assistant City Manager Joe Duffy.

The city has been looking at hauling water by truck and by train, Duffy said.

The City Council will also consider altering water resource levels and increasing water restrictions at its next meeting scheduled for Feb. 27. Williams is currently at level three, which forbids filling swimming pools and spas and restricts irrigation to twice per week between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. All commercial water hauling has also been stopped, except for residential purposes.

In the meantime, the city really needs to get another well online.

The city’s Rodeo well has been plagued by corrosion problems that have all but destroyed previous pumps. The City Council voted to buy a $60,000 stainless-steel pump in a last ditch effort to get that well producing.

“If this one doesn’t work, we’ll be calling for a cement truck and plugging this well, because there’s nothing else we can do,” Patch Karr, a water consultant hired by the city, told the Council last month.

Installing the pump has been delayed several times due to manufacturer’s delays. According to the manufacturer, Electronic Submersible Pumps, of Denver, problems with galling, a problem reportedly common when working with stainless steel, have delayed the pump’s production. The pump was scheduled to be installed yesterday.

With the Rodeo well online, the city could probably get by without hauling water from elsewhere. With both wells operating, nearly 17 million gallons of water could be pumped per month. That would satisfy Williams’ average monthly demand except for May through August. Demand rises above 20 million gallons per month during that period.

Construction on a new well, called Dogtown III, is also scheduled to begin in mid March. Digging the well should take anywhere from 45 to 90 days, said City Manager Dennis Wells.

Delays associated with northern Arizona soil types could possibly delay the drilling process, Wells said.


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