Next Fountain Valley well repair to cost at least $20,000, city says

The second of two Fountain Valley groundwater wells to need emergency repairs this summer is still a few weeks from coming back online, the city says.

Workers from the city’s contractor, General Pump Co., have dismantled the well at Nieblas Park, a small neighborhood park off Heil Avenue between Bushard and Magnolia streets, and taken the well’s shaft, pump and bowls to their shop for assessment, repair and restoration, city Public Works Director Mark Lewis said in an update for Tuesday’s Fountain Valley City Council meeting. The work is expected to be completed by mid-September.

The price tag for the repair will be at least $20,000, though that likely will climb as the reason for the failure becomes clearer, Lewis said. The well had a pump failure last month.

The other recently stricken well, at Warner Avenue and Newhope Street, went offline in June, also after developing pumping issues. That one was returned to service in July. Its repairs cost about $15,000.

Repairs will be funded by ratepayer dollars.

The city now has three of its six wells in operation for all its water needs, plus a connection to the Metropolitan Water District in nearby Garden Grove.

Work at the two other currently disabled wells — one near Coastline Community College and one in Mile Square Regional Park — is expected to begin this fall. Those wells were shut down earlier this year, the former because of pump failure and the latter with pump and motor issues.

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