The City of Lathrop built a well in 2003 near what is now River Islands to serve future development in the Mossdale and River Islands areas.

But it has yet to function as a regular and contributing part of the city’s water system – mired by water quality issues and problems with the construction of the original well itself.

The Lathrop City Council hopes that a new contract and a new approach will salvage the well site and allow for production to serve the portion of the city that is growing by leaps and bounds.

Last month the Lathrop City Council approved a professional services agreement with Carollo Engineers – a contract with more than $805,000 – for the engineering design work that city staff believes will salvage the site and allow for the well to become functional and provide the clean water that Lathrop needs to serve its residents.

The current proposal calls for the relocation of the well to either the existing facility, or a nearby parcel that was purchased a potential future well site – moves that the city feels will address the water quality and construction issues and allow for the well to function as initially envisioned.

The professional engineering services that the city contracted with Carollo for cover not only the Well 21 relocation, but also upgrades to the groundwater treatment facility, booster pump station improvements, and the installation of a 1 million gallon water tank at the site.

With roughly 10,000 homes still waiting to be constructed on River Islands and additional projects on the horizon for other developments west of I-5, the city’s push to secure clean, safe drinking water for its residents becomes vitally important.

The city has taken a proactive role in pushing for sustained groundwater usage and has been active in California’s legislative process to prevent the overdrafting of critical groundwater basin – which the city relies on to provide water to utility customers.

The city also has an allotment of treated surface water from the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, but its usage in recent years has sparked controversy with residents who notice that the water itself smells different than what they’re used to drawing from their tap – the byproduct of treating that particular water which is leaps and bounds cleaner than what is typically drawn from the ground.

While Lathrop has had certain wells with issues in the past – particularly high levels of arsenic and uranium, which are common problems in this region – the city’s drinking water is below the maximum containment level in all categories when measured from the taps of residents.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.