LAUREL HILL — The City Council unanimously agreed to seek bids to repair inoperative equipment serving water well no. 3.
With the loss of the well constituting an emergency, city officials brought in Thomason Well Drilling of Fort Walton Beach to initiate repairs because of the company’s familiarity with the Laurel Hill equipment.
Excavations determined the well’s motor had burned out. Thomason also recommended replacing the 30-year-old pump, which could fail soon, Council Chairman Larry Hendren reported.
“We need to get that well back up because if that second well goes down, people aren’t going to have water,” Hendren said. “It is an emergency.”
Thomason said replacing the 25-horsepower motor and check valve would be $6,160. Replacing the pump would bring the repair to $9,830.
“I recommend we go ahead and do both of them while we’re at it,” Councilwoman Willie Mae Toles said.
“The pump might go at any time,” Councilwoman Betty Williamson said. “I agree we might as well do it.”
Both former Mayor Joan Smith and former council candidate Mary Bradberry advised soliciting at least three bids.
Hendren revised his original motion for an emergency repair to instead seek three bids. If Thomason is not the lowest bidder, the company would be paid for work already done, he said.
Hendren said as of Tuesday two bids have been received and a third bid was expected.
Though Toles asserted, “We're looking at people that’s been without water,” Mayor Robbie Adams said at the moment, water customers are being served as usual.
“We have two wells and they both feed to our tank,” Adams said. “We’re just working off one right now.”
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill City Council approves emergency well repair