Just in the nick of time, Morgan Hill may press the Tennant well
back in service. The well was shut down in April 2002 when
unacceptable levels of perchlorate were found, the first hint of a
much wider problem confirmed in January 2003.
Just in the nick of time, Morgan Hill may press the Tennant well back in service. The well was shut down in April 2002 when unacceptable levels of perchlorate were found, the first hint of a much wider problem confirmed in January 2003.
Jim Ashcraft, public works director, told the City Council on Aug. 18 that the city had just received a letter from the regional water board – the lead agency in the perchlorate cleanup – saying they no longer would object if the Tennant well were reopened.
“The letter gave us new hope of being able to run the Tennant well,” Ashcraft said.
Ashcraft has been struggling with lowering water reserves, a worry during fire season though, he said, the Tennant well probably wouldn’t be up and running before fall and after the period of highest water use.
The news changed over the past week, however, and Ashcraft said Thursday that he may be able to switch on the well this week to help the city weather the remaining weeks of hot weather and high fire danger.
Recently, the Santa Clara Valley Water District board approved paying for another year’s lease for a perchlorate treatment system on the Tennant well. Ashcraft said the water district will pay about $3,200 a month to October 2005. During the past year, when the leased equipment was just sitting there, the SCVWD paid more than $16,000 a month but that included a one-time cost of custom stainless steel plumbing.
If the well is not turned on for any reason, Ashcraft said the city would have to shoulder the $3,200 a month costs.
The water district is also willing to help underwrite the city’s new plan to encourage water conservation. One of six proposals given to council Wednesday by city environmental program administrator Anthony Eulo involves offering loans to residents for replacing water-hungry landscaping with water-wise plants and irrigation.
Others included a tiered rate scale for large water accounts, individual water meters on new multi-family units, retrofitting houses with low-flow toilets and faucet attachments at resale, water efficient rules for new developments and turning the lawn at City Hall into a drought tolerant demonstration garden.
Olin Corp., whose 40 years of safety flare manufacturing at Tennant and Railroad avenues put the chemical in the groundwater, has objected to the city operating the well. The company said pumping at Tennant would likely draw perchlorate deeper into the aquifer and interfere with Olin’s cleanup of groundwater under its former site at 425 Tennant Ave.
“In our opinion, Olin’s technical justification does not support Olin’s position …,” said Roger Briggs, the regional board’s executive officer in a letter dated Aug. 17.
The board did ask the city to notify them 10 working days before turning the well back on, to give Olin time to monitor its groundwater containment and treatment system during the start up and operation period.
The regional board requires Olin to perform the monitoring during any Tennant well operation and to tell the board if Olin’s existing system is unable to contain its onsite contaminated groundwater. It also requires the company to change its system if containment is compromised.
Briggs’s letter said the board does not expect Tennant pumping to interfere but, if Olin adequately shows that containment can’t be maintained, the board could require the city to shut down the well.
Olin’s Rick McClure did not return calls for comment.
While Tennant and two other perchlorate-contaminated wells are offline, the city has found its water supply stressed, especially during summer hot spells.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
