The Marshall County Park Board held their July meeting in the Memorial Forest at the historic Trustee Cabin on Thursday evening, July 6th at 6 p.m.

Tim Filson, owner of Montgomery Well Drilling attended the County Park Board meeting to discuss installing a well in the Memorial Forest.  He gave park board members two options a pitcher pump which will be a shallow well hand pump for $4,100.  The second option was an electric pump well with a buried system for $6,150.  He said neither system would freeze in the winter because they would be below the frost line. While the electric well pump would be useful in the future if the park board decided to add restroom facilities, Filson said the hand pump well would also provide enough water pressure.  They would only need to add an electric pump to it. 

   

Park Board member Dick Markley had concerns that someone would turn on the electric well and leave it on.  Filson said there are options such as a timer that would shut it off. 

Board member Brain Main said he liked the novelty of a hand pump with the historic cabin. 

The board voted unanimously for the installation of a hand pump well. Filson said it would take a couple of weeks to get the materials and the park board would obtain a well permit from the County Health Department. 

Following the meeting, Board Member Main checked with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and a hand-washing potable water source, such as the well they approved must go through a two-step approval process before construction.  They must get the location approved by the area IDEM inspector.  The County Park Board must also submit a construction permit application with the expectation that the $860 fee from the IDEM Drainage Water Branch would be waived. 

After construction and before operation, the park board will have to submit a 1-time sample for fluoride testing, a 1-time sample for nitrate testing, and 2 samples for bacteria testing.  Once operational, as a potable water source, the well will have to be tested quarterly for bacteria and annually for nitrates.  IDEM’s Small System Lab Assistance Program will send them sample bottles quarterly which they will fill from the well and return to IDEM.  Aside from postage, the testing process is free of charge.

Main said in an email the only ongoing cost associated with the well would be a $100 annual fee.