When city officials met Dec. 29 to approve the 2021 budget, Public Works Director Nick Grube had some grim news for them. The pump in well #4 was no longer working and would need to be repaired or replaced. The cost could be as high as $27,826 he told the board. 

At the urging of former City Clerk Jane Hungler, the city began saving for such contingencies several years ago. Each year a little money goes into repair funds. Still, a bill of nearly $30,000 was a blow. 

Grube and current City Clerk Be Ahring managed to find a way to fund the repairs. The 2021 budget included $30,000 in the water budget for well repairs. 

Grube explained to the board that the well would need to pulled in order to determine the exact cause of the malfunction. 

Well #4 is one of three city water wells and was installed in 1990. In 1995, the well was struck by lightning and a new pump was installed. 

Therefore, the pump in question was 25 years old as were the attached pipes and electrical lines. Should everything need to be replaced, it could cost all of the $27,826 of the quote. 

Flynn Drilling Company arrived in town Jan. 5 to pull the pump, which did indeed need to be replaced. Not all of the wiring and pipes needed to be replaced, so the city was only billed $21,034. That will leave nearly $9,000 in the budget for future well repairs. 

Grube says that pump in well #2, located just east of Gerald Elementary School, was replaced in 2006. The pump in well #3, located just east of Community Outreach on Fourth Street, was replaced in 2013. 

Well #1 is no longer in operation. It was the city’s first well and located near the site of well #3, near the city’s original water tower. After a serious problem occurred while pulling that pump, the well was abandoned. It was replaced by well#3 in 1960, according to Grube.