COLUMBUS — The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is seeking public input on the construction of two new wells in Columbus’ south wellfield near State Road 11.
IDEM received an application for a construction permit from Columbus Municipal Utilities for the project, described as Well Nos. 18 and 19 and Raw Water Main. If approved, the permit will become effective on the date of issuance.
The Columbus Utilities Service Board approved in August drilling two new wells to add more water capacity for customers.
Each of the two new wells, which are expected to be completed next year, will likely produce about a million gallons of water per day, Columbus Municipal Utilities Executive Director Scott Dompke said in a previous interview.
The project is estimated at $1 million.
“We need to increase our south wellfield capacity,” Dompke said.
Anyone who wishes to comment on the proposed drilling of the two new wells is permitted to do so. Comments must be postmarked no later than Jan. 18, 2020.
Comments that are most likely to affect IDEM’s decision to grant the permit are those based on the rules and laws governing the permitting process (327 IAC 8-3).
Columbus’ public drinking water comes from groundwater accessed via 22 wells and two filtration plants. But since the fall of 2017, the city’s No. 14 and No. 15 wells, which are east of the proposed new drilling site, have been out of service.
Both were taken off-line after testing revealed low amounts of an organic chemical, 1,4 dioxane, considered “a likely human carcinogen” by federal environmental regulators.
Columbus is one of several Indiana cities that tested above the .35 parts per billion Environmental Protection Agency recommended limit for the industrial solvent, testing at .48 parts per billion in the city water system in 2013.
Reports have not determined the origin of the contamination in the wells, which are both located east of State Road 11 and south of Garden City.
Though the two new wells will be located around 3,200 feet west of wells Nos. 14 and 15, 1,4 dioxane has not been detected at the new well sites and city officials have concluded that there is little risk that the contaminant will affect the new wells.
“None of the testing that we’ve done so far would give us any indication that would happen,” Dompke said.
In January, Columbus City Utilities awarded a $68,300 contract to Peerless Midwest Inc. to map the extent of chemical contamination in the aquifer, as well as monitor wells in the south field near the two out-of-service wells.
Dompke said in a previous interview that the test wells were drilled in preparation for drilling the two new wells. The two new wells, if approved by the utility board, would be drilled at the same location as the test wells.
“(The Peerless Midwest) project was for doing some testing to see if we the sites we chose (for the new wells) were OK, and it appears that they will be,” Dompke said.
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Those who wish to comment on the proposed construction of two new wells in Columbus’ south wellfield should send their remarks to:
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Office of Water Quality – Drinking Water Branch
Construction Permit Section
100 N. Senate Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46206-2273
Comments can also be sent via email to [email protected].
All comments must be postmarked no later than Jan. 18, 2010, to be considered in the formulation of the final determination. All comments will be considered by IDEM when they make a decision to issue or deny the permit application. Comments that are most likely to affect the decision are those based on the rules and laws governing this permitting process.
Any questions concerning this project should be directed to the Construction Permits Section of the Drinking Water Branch, Office of Water Quality, IDEM at 317-234-7425.
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