Lacey City Council awards $408,000 contract to dig 3 deep holes near Judd Street. Here’s why
The City of Lacey will spend $408,000 to dig three deep holes in hopes of finding more city water.
The Lacey City Council awarded the contract Thursday to Kent-based Malcolm Drilling Co., which will dig a 600-foot borehole near an existing city well on Judd Street, plus two more holes at 300 feet and 600 feet on undeveloped property in the same area. The work is expected to begin in September and last 80 days, according to information shared with the council.
Why do this? Lacey has a water right for the area, which allows it to withdraw 600 gallons per minute or 967 acre feet per year. To retain the full quantity of water granted by the water right, the city needs to find a new well.
“Additional water supply is needed to provide continued adequate domestic and fire flow water supply to the city’s customers,” city officials said in Thursday’s meeting agenda materials. “Satisfying the water rights development schedule is critical for maintaining adequate supply capacity for the community.”
The 600-foot borehole at the existing well site will be abandoned after soil strata and water quality are obtained, according to the city. The two other holes, which are being drilled on property owned by resident Herberta L. Gray, will be converted to monitoring wells so that the quality of the water can be analyzed.
To access Gray’s property, the city negotiated a construction easement with Gray and an access agreement with a neighbor, said Civil Engineer Gagan Brar.
If the water proves satisfactory, the next step would be to negotiate the acquisition of the property. City Attorney Dave Schneider said in January that the property appraised at $170,000.
If the water is not adequate, then things get a little harder for the city.
“If the H.L Gray parcel doesn’t have good quality or adequate quantity of water, then the city will need to find water outside of the (area),” city officials said for Thursday’s agenda. “Moving the water right outside of the delineated area is expensive, and the city has a high potential of losing part of the water right.”
The current water right expires in 2030, Brar said.
This story was originally published August 11, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
