City of Wells Water System Improvement Project
BACKGROUND
Wells' prosperity is solidly based in the crossroads created by I-80 and US 93. This interesting settlement was originally established as a station on the Union Pacific Railroad. In September, 1869, Humboldt Wells (as it was called because of the headwaters of the Humboldt River nearby) boasted a Wells Fargo office, a log shanty saloon, and a railroad station in a boxcar.
By 1872, stores and hotels had been added to the single business street paralleling the west side of the railroad tracks, and stagecoaches ran south into White Pine County three times a week. But devastating fires in 1877, 1881 and 1900 slowed development, and, lacking any business beyond that provided by the railroad and the ranches, growth was very slow.
 Since the turn of the century, Wells, like many of the old railroad towns, has slowly shifted its center away from the railroad tracks. In the 1940s businesses migrated a block south to US 40, and in the 1980s, it began an agonizing stretch toward I-80. The last business on Commercial Row, Quilici's, a 60-year institution, closed in 1991. Thirteen saloons once provided entertainment to railroad travelers. Now even the Bullhead Bar, the last and most famous of them, with its big dance floor upstairs, is closed and padlocked. However, the Ruby Mountain Brewing Company is a short drive south of Wells.
Wells had only one operational well prior to this project. Due to groundwater wells being the sole source of water for this system and the remote nature of the system, redundant well capacity is required under Nevada regulations. According to the hydraulic analysis, the water system could not meet minimum pressure requirements and was also out of compliance for storage capacity.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The City of Wells applied for a grant under the AB-198 program to assist with a water system improvement project. The grant was originally approved by the Board for Financing Water Projects (Board) on December 5, 2002, for $757,375.60 (61.3% of the total eligible project cost of $1,235,523). The original project scope was to be completed in three phases and included: a new production well, looping of the water system and a new 250,000 gallon water storage tank.
Due to problems with the first well drilled, the City of Wells did not have sufficient funds remaining to complete the water tank (Phase 3). On April 27, 2005, the Board approved an amendment to the original grant making the total project grant $1,102,310.09 (61.3% of the total eligible project cost of $1,798,222).
PROJECT STATUS
A new water well (Phase 1) was drilled in the spring of 2004 not far from a well that was used to irrigate the golf course. The new well did not produce as much water as expected and was abandoned. A test hole and subsequent production well were drilled and found to produce 1,500 gpm. The well, well house and Phase 2 of the project - looping the water system - are now complete and in service.
The new storage tank is currently under construction and the transmission main and booster pump are scheduled to be bid in spring 2009.
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