FOUNTAIN VALLEY : City to Negotiate Deal for 2 Water Wells

The City Council agreed this week to negotiate a lease with Newport Beach for the building of two water wells in Fountain Valley.

Newport Beach proposes to build a pump station for the two wells near Slater Avenue west of the San Diego Freeway.

Jeff Staneart,Newport Beach utilities department director, said Newport Beach would agree to a long-term lease, even though it would like to buy the land.

Staneart said Newport Beach has offered to pay $25,000 a year to lease the property.

He said Newport Beach proposes to build a one-story, 3,600-square-foot building for the pumping station.

Fountain Valley Mayor John Collins said he is concerned that the city might have to buy water from outside sources once Newport Beach begins pumping water from the wells.

Fountain Valley currently gets 75% of its water from the underground basin.

“My concern is a money concern,” Collins said. He said the money the city would receive from the lease would not be enough in the event the city has to buy additional water.

In all, Newport Beach is planning to drill four wells in Fountain Valley at two separate sites.

Two other wells will be built at Hisamatsu Tamura Elementary School. Those two wells have already been approved by the school district.

Staneart said the wells should be completed by mid- to late-1995.

Staneart said Newport Beach is in need of the water wells to lessen the city’s dependence on buying from the Metropolitan Water District.

The $17-million well project is expected to produce enough water to serve 28,000 households, he said.