Kalispell plans to dig a new well and build a new water storage tank to serve the city's growing population.

The City Council on Monday informally approved the city staff's efforts to have both in place by late 2006.

Kalispell currently has four wells and a spring capable of producing 8,150 gallons of water per minute.

The city wants to dig a fifth well - one with a reasonable expectation of producing at least 1,000 gallons per minute - in the West View Estates area in the extreme northwest corner of Kalispell.

The city has two underground water storage tanks and one water tower with a combined storage capacity of 4.5 million gallons. The city is looking at a 2-acre site west of town - on Sheepherder Hill on West Valley Drive - as the spot for a 2-million-gallon partially buried concrete tank.

Originally, the city staff and its engineering consultants looked at building a 1-million-gallon tank, but the likelihood of having to add a second million-gallon tank in a few years prompted them to recommend to the council that the larger tank be built next year.

By expanding to a 2-million-gallon tank, the potential overall costs will be greater than the preliminary estimates mapped out in the city's 2005-06 budget.

However, the extra costs will be paid by increased fees coming from the new homes and businesses that will use the additional well water and storage capacity, according to Jim Hansz, the city's public works director.

The original estimate for a 1-million-gallon tank was $2 million, with a 2-million-gallon tank estimated at $2.89 million.

The new well and pump house are estimated to cost $572,600.

The city originally budgeted $2.75 million for these projects.

That leaves a $712,000 difference to be handled by revenue from new water customers.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at [email protected]