Fire District considering ways to make in-town well operational

The Lincoln Rural Fire District is looking at options to fix a well and pump in town that was designed to both fill fire department trucks and improve fire protection for the downtown business district.

Bill Frisbee, the Fire District board chairman, said the board made the well its number one infrastructure project for the district at their meeting last week.

"The bottom line is the district made a commitment to the taxpayers to put in some sort of water pumping system that would benefit ... everybody here in town. The first stab at it did not work. In keeping that promise to the taxpayer, we need to tackle this issue," Frisbee said.

Construction on the well began in October 2012 when it was dug and a casing was installed on property behind what is now the BVD office. Rose Frisbee donated an easement on the 40-foot by 40-foot piece of property to the community for use as a well and pump house.

Construction of the pump house and installation of the diesel-powered pump was completed in November 2015. Since the pump's installation the well, which only really extends seven to eight feet below ground level, has been plagued by low water levels, particularly in dry years.

In 2016, the well was only able to produce between 120-140 gallons-per-minute, far short of the 1500-gallon per minute rate originally expected.

The cost for drilling a new, deeper well and installing a new pump is estimated to be about $25,000, Frisbee said. If the District budget is approved and passed in June, they will work with a well driller to determine the best course of action.

"Our hopes is that this may only cost about $8k, but we have to budget for worst-case scenario," Frisbee said.

with a new well expected to be between 40 and 60 feet deep, Frisbee said it will also require a different pump. He said the existing pump operates by drafting water upwards, which only works to a certain depth. With a deeper well, a submersible pump that pushes the water upward is needed.

Frisbee said the LRFD is hoping to work with the Lincoln School District to acquire their old pump, which may be replaced soon with a newer model that builds pressure more slowly. The school's pump is still in good working order, and is often used to fill fire department water tenders, but the force generated when it starts up has been known to fracture a crtical fitting, which led to significant damage to a school building last winter.

Although the well and pump have never operated to the minimum required capacity and needed to be addressed, Frisbee said the District had other infrastructure costs, such as replacing the roof on the main fire hall and completely rebuilding Fire Station 1 next to the community Hall, which had its structural stability compromised by vehicle impacts, that took priority.

"We needed to get those items fixed so we could protect our equipment," he said.

When the new well and pump are completed, businesses in the downtown area should see their insurance rates decline due to the improved fire protection