Water for well found underneath Island

After successfully drilling 600 feet below the Island at Rotary Park, a sufficient supply of water has been discovered and could be tapped to use in the event of a natural disaster. Water quality tests are being evaluated, and if it is determined to be safe for human consumption, the city plans to install a hook-up for an emergency well. The $410,000 for the drilling and tests, however, won’t pay for the hook-up. City Council members will have to release additional funds to complete construction of the well.

After successfully drilling 600 feet below the Island at Rotary Park, a sufficient supply of water has been discovered and could be tapped to use in the event of a natural disaster. Water quality tests are being evaluated, and if it is determined to be safe for human consumption, the city plans to install a hook-up for an emergency well. The $410,000 for the drilling and tests, however, won’t pay for the hook-up. City Council members will have to release additional funds to complete construction of the well.

Drillers from Hokkaido Drilling in Graham, Wash., located the water supply about two months ago. Mercer Island Maintenance Director Glenn Boettcher is tentatively scheduled to present the findings at a joint session with the City Council and Utility Board on June 18.

“The flow test went well,” Boettcher said, “but we are waiting on the test results because there are concerns about minerals in the water. We don’t know if it’s drink-ready or will need some sort of filtration for purification.”

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City officials decided to drill in search of an emergency supply of water because a large earthquake could rupture the water supply lines that run along Interstate 90 from Seattle. The city currently has two 4-million-gallon water tanks that could last a maximum of four days according to Terry Smith, the city’s utilities manager. Those four days, however, may not be enough time to fix a break on the bridge.

The Island’s water supply comes through Seattle Public Utilities, from a treatment facility on the Cedar River to pipes laid out underneath I-90.

The city evaluated several possible sites for the test well and concluded that Rotary Park was the best option because it is centrally located and accessible to all Islanders. Not only is it centrally located in a stable region of the Island — important especially because the perimeter of the Island is expected to be less stable in a major catastrophe such as an earthquake — the city’s water supply tanks are also adjacent to the park.

City officials hope to utilize the test well site as a temporary emergency water supply until it can be converted to a permanent well. The estimated 20-foot-by-25-foot well facility is planned to be designed to blend with the park landscape.

The park plan can be found at www.mercergov.org/rotarypark.