The Knox County Water and Wastewater program is addressing power issues at its Apple Valley pump station and is planning to drill a new well due to an existing well operating nearly continuously since early June.
According to a YouTube video of the Knox County Board of Commissioners' August 19 meeting, Knox County Water/Wastewater Superintendent Jeff Pickrell said that a review of the electric bill for the Apple Valley pump station on Crabapple Drive revealed it was ten times higher than usual. Power problems have affected the pump station since July 4, with his department identifying unbalanced power as the cause. The pump station has been running on generator power for the last ten days and twenty out of thirty days in the month. Pickrell said there was no way the power bill could be as high as what the county received.
Pickrell mentioned that well number six has required unexpected repairs. He noted that if well number three fails, it would necessitate water restrictions for customers. This situation underscores why the department is working on developing a third large well, number seven. If necessary, the system can rely on its three small wells to meet demand; however, Pickrell indicated that if demand reaches levels seen on July 4, they will face challenges.
The system currently operates one large and one small well at a time to fill its water tank. Once full, these wells shut down, and another set takes over to prevent continuous operation. Issues with well number six have kept well number three running for months. Discussions with Engineering are underway regarding preliminary design so that well number seven can be drilled. Pickrell expressed hope to solicit bids for drilling this year. Following this, water testing and pump testing must be completed before submitting information to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval.
Pickrell also mentioned they will need a new Wellhead Protection Plan, requiring a 300-foot circumference around each well. For well number six, located near ball fields, chemicals cannot be applied because water is found close to the surface—a contamination issue that persists despite potential EPA assurances about the safety of using ball fields.
