City investigates sites for new well field

CADILLAC - Age and the presence of two known groundwater contaminants have city officials thinking about a new water supply.

The city hired FTC&H, an engineering firm out of Kalamazoo, to perform a well field investigation to identify areas in the city that have potential for a new well field.

Through this investigation, the team collected and analyzed hydrogeological information; reviewed sites of potential contamination in the city; and installed a few test wells.

“One positive you have in Cadillac is that you are in Michigan which has abundant resources,” said well field consultant Jim Brode. “You are blessed with the setting here geologically.”

The current city wells are 45 years old while the average age of that type of well is 50. Brode said at that point, the city can run into issues with the wells. Also, Cadillac City Manager Pete Stalker said the recent discovery of a MTBE plume in the area of the well field further justifies this type of study.

“The MTBE, which is something that is added to gasoline, is very mobile, and is also difficult to treat,” Stalker said. “The problem is that when in groundwater, the MTBE moves very quickly and has a smell and tastes like turpentine.”

Although the contamination isn't in the aquifer the city uses, Stalker said its presence in this area of the community is still a concern.

The next step, according to director of the city utilities department Larry Campbell, is to look at geology in the proposed areas to place the wells. Once a well field site is identified, the city would need to secure access to the site. The process would take at least two to three years to transition operations to the new well field.

“We aren't planning to move the well field at this time, we are just looking for a new area to put in one or two wells,” Stalker said. “We plan to continue using the system we have now but will have an area where we can phase in if needed.”

Since it was only recently that the city became aware of the new potential source of contamination, it is too early to tell what will happen.

“It is too early to say,” he said. “But the DEQ is keeping us informed regarding the ongoing investigation of the contamination.”

tberkebile@cadillacnews.com | 775-NEWS (6397)

What: The city of Cadillac is looking ahead to initiate phase two of a well field investigation study.

Why: The city's current well field is about 45 years old, which is close to the average lifespan of that type of well. Also, two recently discovered plumes of groundwater contamination appear to be migrating toward the city's current well field. These plumes are outside the capture zone for the existing groundwater treatment system operated by the Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA).

How: The city hired an engineering firm to perform an investigation to identify areas of the city that have potential for new well field development.

What's next: The city will move on to phase two, which is to look at the geology of the sites and secure access to that site.