Broken shaft repaired

OTHELLO - Othello well No. 3 was in emergency status and is expected to be running today.

During a Sept. 10 Othello City Council meeting the well was determined to be in disrepair.

Council approved $20,000 to fix the well.

The shaft in the well broke, Municipal Services Coordinator Jay Van Ness said.

"It is back in the hole, everything's hooked up and it is pumped," he said. "We are waiting for our bacterial tests to put it back on line (Friday)."

The well is located near Lions Park and pumps approximately 13,000 gallons of water per minute.

The well is used as a source for drinking water in the city.

Well No. 5 experienced a recent failure in late August and the city public works department was able to get it back on line the same day.

The shaft and the bearings to the pump were replaced in well No. 5 in late June. A layer of barnacles and rust was scraped from the shaft. Corrosion and visible cracks as long as four feet were located and repaired.

The well is used for potable water, fire flow and industrial needs. While the well was down, well No. 6 was used in its place.

Repairs to well No. 5 in late June cost the city $73,916.