Two underground water wells in Ripon are currently part of a repair project.
For starters, Well 5 located on the corner of Ridge and Milgeo avenues will be getting a new pump and motor.
Well 12 has been out of operation since 2012 due to high nitrate levels as a result of the Ripon Farm Service nitrate pollution, according to City of Ripon Engineering Supervisor James Pease.
At last week’s special session, the water wells received the OK from the Ripon City Council to have North State Drilling to proceed with the work. In order to do so, a change order of $32,287 via the Water Enterprise Capital fund was necessary.
Councilman Leo Zuber asked if Well 12 was in operation.
Pease nodded ‘no,’ adding: “In order to draw water from that well, we need approval from the State due to the nitrate levels.”
In his report, Pease added that staff is planning to obtain a hydrogeologist consultant to determine and recommend a pumping rate for Well 12 that will not interfere or negatively impact the Ripon Farm Service remediation efforts.
“Once this pumping rate is known, staff will work with the contractor on a second change order for the pump and motor,” he said.
Well 12 is part of Phase II in the Capital Improvement Program.
Nearly two years ago, Wood Rogers, Inc. prepared an assessment of the City’s underground supply and recommended projects to protect the ground water quality.
It was discovered that Well 5 and Well 12 were acting as a conduit connecting the shallow aquifers (a water-bearing stratum of permeable rock, sand or gravel) – found to be high in nitrates – with the immediate aquifers, from which the City pumped its ground water.
Wood Rogers, Inc. recommended that the upper ground water strata of both Well 5 and Well 12 to be sealed.
North Drilling Inc. was awarded with the bid for the Wood Rogers, Inc. design last November for $273,475.
Those numbers have increases with the change order.
Council, for now, approved the change order for the installation of the new pump and motor for Well 5.

To contact reporter Vince Rembulat, e-mail vrembulat@mantecabulletin.com.