College Place City Council to vote on $1 million water well loan
By Dan Thesman on Tuesday, August 11th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE – The College Place City Council meets tonight (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. to consider taking out a $1 million state loan to dig a local water well deeper.
If approved, the action will allow Public Works Director Robert McAndrews or his designee to sign a loan agreement with the Washington State Public Works Board. The five-year loan comes with a 1.06 percent interest rate.
The money will fund phase two of work on Well No. 7, located at 199 Teal Lane. The well was first drilled in 2024. However, testing showed it was only producing about 150 to 300 gallons of water per minute. The water also contained high levels of iron and manganese.
Because the original water output was too low to be useful, city leaders consulted with groundwater experts. Experts evaluated dozens of nearby deep wells and determined that digging roughly 400 feet deeper into the underground rock layers will likely reach better water quality and stronger pressure.
Digging deeper will help the city figure out if the well can become a viable water source. City officials expect the new drilling results will prove the well is worth completing.
Engineers have already finished 90 percent of the plans for the building that will house the well equipment. Once the deeper drilling is complete and tests show the water is safe and flowing well, the city can apply for state construction money to build the final wellhouse.
EMG photo of College Place Well No. 7
