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Sylacauga Utilities Board: new water sources seem promising

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SYLACAUGA, Ala. –  The Sylacauga Utilities Board held its department head meeting Tuesday morning. The meeting between board members mainly consisted of discussion on the new water well project that SUB has been working on for several months.

As SylacaugaNews.com previously reported, SUB continuously searches for alternative water sources to ensure that citizens have an adequate water supply in the future. Currently, the city runs on two wells and uses Lake Howard as a backup water source.

The current well project has gone through many tests over the last month. SUB Operations Director Mitch Miller said there were no defects in the water and SUB still feels hopeful the new well will be a source of potable water for the people of Sylacauga.

The next step for the well is the 10-day pump test. The water will be put through a tracer study to see if it is under the influence of surface water. If all goes well, SUB intends on purchasing the land the well sits on and will then make a decision regarding whether to cap the well off or put the well in service.

SUB General Manager Mike Richard told board members if the well is put into service, Lake Howard would be pushed back to the fourth water source for the City and would only be used during an emergency.

Right now, SUB sees no reason to turn the well into an active water source for the City, especially when considering how well the current water sources held up during the three months with no rain.

“The drought proved we have good water resources right now,” Richard. “The original plan of capping the well is still a really good plan.”

Miller also updated board members on the status of Lake Howard. During the drought, Lake Howard dropped 41 inches, which Miller said was a standard drop rate during the dry months in years past. When compared to the last major drought Sylacauga saw before drilling wells, that 41 inches seems rather insignificant. During that drought, Lake Howard dropped 127 inches and that number was recorded after Lake Virginia was released into Howard.

Miller said Lake Howard has risen 11 inches since the first rain moved in two weeks ago and is still rising. The rain has also caused Lake Virginia to overflow into Lake Howard which is causing it to rise closer to fill level quickly.

SylacaugaNews.com will continue to have updates on alternative water sources and other projects that SUB is working on in the Sylacauga community.

Jeremy Law for SylacaugaNews.com | © 2016, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.


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