OTHELLO - Othello's new well could cost up to $770,000 depending on where usable water is found.

The council approved a plan for Well 9 during a recent council meeting, after Gray and Osborne Principal Larry Julius explained the well could range from $547,000 to $770,000 depending on where the groundwater is.

The estimates followed a presentation by hydrogeologist Kevin Lindsey from GSI Water Solutions. Lindsey told the council the amount and quality of the water is uncertain because of a monocline, or underground dike, in the area. The city likely would find usable water between 240 and 440 feet deep.

"If we hit a well that is east of that dike, he predicted we would have a well fairly similar to our Well 8, 750 to 800 gallons per minute. If we're west of that monocline or dike, there is a good likelihood that we could drill a well similar to what the port has out in Bruce. It could be upwards of a 1,000 plus gallons a minute," Julius said.

Lindsey recommended drilling a 20-inch wide hole for the top section of the well and casing it to prevent higher water from contaminating the well. The top section would end somewhere between the 240- and 440-foot depth.

The engineering firm examined three possibilities of what could happen with the well, Julius said. All of the options started with a 20-inch wide hole with a 16-inch wide casing inside of the top portion.

The difference depends on where usable water is discovered, he said. If they are west of the underground dike, the well can be deeper. If nothing else is wrong, the 920-foot deep well is estimated to cost $547,000. If they are east of the dike, the well can be shallower. If nothing else needs to changed, the about 705-foot deep well is estimated to cost $691,000.

"The difference being basically the amount of drilling and the depth the contractor has to go to," Julius said.

The third option adds a 12-inch wide liner below the 440-foot depth, Julius said. The liner holds up loose rock which may fall into the well and allows water to pass through.

"We recommend that we have space for the slotted liner, but if it turns out that we don't need it, then the contractor doesn't get paid for it," he said. "Most of these items will be unit price or unit quantity, so the contractor only gets paid for what they actually do."

Councilmember Ken Caylor supported the idea as long as the contract allowed the city to have someone monitoring the construction.

Julius estimated it would take until about the end of the year to receive permits for drilling.