City Abandons Wells, Fixes Reservoir

City Abandons Wells, Fixes Reservoir

The City of Pierre's drinking water system continues to evolve with action approved by the city commission during the Aug. 20 meeting.

The commission agreed to abandon three wells the city used prior to transitioning its drinking water from ground water to treated surface water. The three wells, all located near the waterfront in western Pierre, will be abandoned and capped. Sargent Drilling, a specialized contractor from Nebraska, will do the work for approximately $30,000.

"Once abandoned, the wells no longer require maintenance," said Robert Townley, Water Superintendent. "Since they're no longer in use, it just makes sense to be done with them and no longer use our resources to maintain them."

Sargent Drilling will abandon the wells this year. City staff will remove the well houses sometime next year.

Additionally, the commission approved a plan for maintenance on one of the city's six drinking water reservoirs.

USG Water will repair the exterior seams of the roof of the North Harrison tank for approximately $50,000. That work is expected to be complete by the end of 2024. No customer impact is anticipated.

In December 2022, the City of Pierre began distributing treated Missouri River surface water from its newly established water treatment facility. Previously, the city's drinking water was supplied by groundwater produced from a series of local wells.

The City of Pierre serves more than 13,640 customers who use an average of 2.6 million gallons of water each day.

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