SEAL BEACH : City to Sink $180,000 Into Water Well Fixes

The city intends to make $180,000 worth of repairs to a well that provides Seal Beach with 70% of its water.

The City Council voted last week to accept bids from firms to replace the well’s old and failing pump engine and make other improvements. Officials hope that work on the project will begin by the end of the year.

City Manager Jerry L. Bankston said that the well’s diesel pump engine is faulty and does not comply with environmental guidelines.

In its place, the city wants to install a new $120,000 engine powered by both natural gas and electricity. In addition, the well needs $40,000 worth of electrical repairs. A $20,000 catalytic converter must also be installed, Bankston said.

Officials plan to have a contractor chosen by the end of the summer.

Even though the existing pump engine hasn’t caused the city much trouble yet, Bankston said, it is better to not take any chances.

“It’s the single most important source of water for us,” he said. “If the well isn’t in operation, we have to purchase water (from the Orange County Water District), which is much more expensive.”

The well, on Bolsa Chica Road, is owned by the city.