Mayor answers questions about city water

LIND – Mayor Paula Bell heard concerns from residents about the town having enough water during the August 25 city council meeting.

“I want to report town is obligated to supply clean, safe drinking water and we are in compliance, having no problem with providing clean, safe drinking water,” Bell said. “The town reservoirs are full. There is no shortage of water.”

Bell reported Well No. 7, from reservoir 2 north of town holds approximately 200,000 gallons; and Well No. 8, from reservoir 3 south of town holds approximately 275,000 gallons. Bell said Well No. 6, near the swimming pool, has two outlets, one of which is non-drinkable water and does not come out of the town’s drinking water supply.

Bell said one individual gets 2000 to 4000 gallons per month of drinkable water from the other outlet from Well No. 6, which does come out of town water.

“Well No. 9 is located west of the sewer plant and that is under agreement with Blattner Energy and the Windmill farm,” Bell reported.

During public comment of the meeting, Steve Ferrell said he noticed Well No. 6 had been closed, and prior to that, he had seen “trucks lined up taking thousands and thousands and thousands of gallons of water out.”

“It’s not town water, not the drinkable water. You understand that?” Bell asked Ferrell.

“Well, I know, but once you take thousands and thousands of gallons out of a well, the aquifer, you’re draining what resources are out there,” Ferrell said. “Our town isn’t meant for that.”

Bell reported Friday, August 28, Well No. 6 had been closed to allow the pump to rest.

On Monday, August 31, city clerk-treasurer Kylie Buell said Well No. 6’s non-potable outlet is open to local Lind residents only at this time.

Ferrell also asked at the meeting “how much did the town make off all the money that went to the wind turbines?” Bell said she did not have the information in front of her, and when asked August 28, said she did not know if that information could be given out.

“Is it substantial? Is it going to help the town, or did we just let a bunch of water go off into the dirt?” Ferrell asked at the meeting.

“No. The cost is $9.50 for your first load of 1,000 gallons, and then it is 50 cents for every gallon after that,” Bell said.

Shannon Davis also expressed concern.

“I was kind of okay with the water trucks for awhile, until I happened to be down working at the storage shed and there’s that 60,000 gallon tanker,” Davis said. “Plus five more, and that’s a lot of water coming out. Because we’re on the Odessa aquifer and there’s not a lot that feeds that aquifer.”

Bell said the tanker was not a 60,000 gallon truck, and was only filling partway.

In other business, council

– Heard from Patrick Sheehy of CenturyWest Engineering on current projects.

– Approved a Water Utility COVID-19 Customer Support Program notice to be mailed out with utility bills.

– Approved paying the warrant register of $137,148 for August 11-24.

– Approved paying invoices from July 30 through August 20 in the amount of $10,277.