MADISON - The village of Browntown is seeking state approval to replace its aging well house and associated equipment for an estimated $500,000.
The well house at Water Street and Old Highway Road is worn out after 75 years of service, said Gerald Miller, village trustee and water commissioner.
"It's practically coming apart ... there are cracks in the (wall) blocks from the roof to the floor. There's no separate storage for chemicals so some of the electronics have rusted out and have been replaced," Miller said Thursday.
Although the Department of Natural Resources recommended replacing the well house, the project is being done at the village's initiative, said Village Clerk Donna Wyss.
The village considered drilling a new well, too, but the $150,000 estimated cost, plus the expense of a new well house, pump and other equipment, caused the village to scrap the idea in favor of increasing the water system's reliability by replacing the eroding well house and corroded pipes.
The proposed project also includes installing a 150-gallon-per-minute pump, backup generator, separate chemical storage area and replacing water mains in Old Highway Road, hydrants and valves for an estimated cost of $501,044.
The village will finance the project with a $340,000 community development block grant and a low-interest, long-term state loan, Miller said.
Water rates will probably need to be increased in order to repay the loan but those rate calculations have not yet been made, he said.
The village also plans to replace some nearby sewer mains at approximately $180,000. That additional expense would be repaid through sewer rates, Miller said.
Browntown consumes about 20,000 gallons of water daily, requiring the pump to work only about two hours a day to fill the village's water tower and pressurize the system. Water demand is expected to increase by 16 percent during the next 20 years to 23,200 gallons daily, requiring the pump to operate only 2.6 hours a day, according to the village's consultants, Delta 3 Engineering, Inc. of Platteville.
The water utility spends about $56,000 annually on operating costs and maintenance and the well house project is not expected to increase that amount because water production will not increase, according to Delta 3 Engineering.
No property will need to be purchased as the project will use existing village owned land and right of way.
Bids have been received for the well house project and will be awarded at the village's Feb. 20 meeting, Miller said.
Miller anticipates construction to begin in April and be completed this summer.
The project needs approval from the Public Service Commission, a process that can take a few months.
The utility has not had many projects like this in some time, Miller acknowledged saying the old well house has been in use long enough.
"We may have tried to make this one last too long," he said.
The well house at Water Street and Old Highway Road is worn out after 75 years of service, said Gerald Miller, village trustee and water commissioner.
"It's practically coming apart ... there are cracks in the (wall) blocks from the roof to the floor. There's no separate storage for chemicals so some of the electronics have rusted out and have been replaced," Miller said Thursday.
Although the Department of Natural Resources recommended replacing the well house, the project is being done at the village's initiative, said Village Clerk Donna Wyss.
The village considered drilling a new well, too, but the $150,000 estimated cost, plus the expense of a new well house, pump and other equipment, caused the village to scrap the idea in favor of increasing the water system's reliability by replacing the eroding well house and corroded pipes.
The proposed project also includes installing a 150-gallon-per-minute pump, backup generator, separate chemical storage area and replacing water mains in Old Highway Road, hydrants and valves for an estimated cost of $501,044.
The village will finance the project with a $340,000 community development block grant and a low-interest, long-term state loan, Miller said.
Water rates will probably need to be increased in order to repay the loan but those rate calculations have not yet been made, he said.
The village also plans to replace some nearby sewer mains at approximately $180,000. That additional expense would be repaid through sewer rates, Miller said.
Browntown consumes about 20,000 gallons of water daily, requiring the pump to work only about two hours a day to fill the village's water tower and pressurize the system. Water demand is expected to increase by 16 percent during the next 20 years to 23,200 gallons daily, requiring the pump to operate only 2.6 hours a day, according to the village's consultants, Delta 3 Engineering, Inc. of Platteville.
The water utility spends about $56,000 annually on operating costs and maintenance and the well house project is not expected to increase that amount because water production will not increase, according to Delta 3 Engineering.
No property will need to be purchased as the project will use existing village owned land and right of way.
Bids have been received for the well house project and will be awarded at the village's Feb. 20 meeting, Miller said.
Miller anticipates construction to begin in April and be completed this summer.
The project needs approval from the Public Service Commission, a process that can take a few months.
The utility has not had many projects like this in some time, Miller acknowledged saying the old well house has been in use long enough.
"We may have tried to make this one last too long," he said.