The water in your tap starts with our wells and proactive well rehabilitation helps maintain reliable water service.
Liberty’s wells are the first step in getting groundwater up into the distribution system and ultimately, out through your tap. While the process of delivering water to you has many more steps, it’s clear that wells play a very important role. So, when our Liberty team recently completed rehabilitation work on Wells 86 and 8, it supported our ongoing efforts to maintain safe, reliable water service for customers.
At Well 86, crews identified an issue with a well casing, which is a protective pipe that houses the well’s pump, structurally keeps the well open, and protects the water from dirt and other potential contaminants. Repairs were made before significant problems could occur. After the repair, our team found that the pump location was not optimal, as it was reducing efficiency and introducing air into the system. Liberty crews addressed this issue by installing a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD), which allows the adjustment of pump speed to maintain optimal water levels, helping to improve the well’s overall performance. The well is currently undergoing flushing and water quality testing before it is returned to service.
At Well 8, our team noticed a reduced pumping performance and set to work to identify the root cause. The inspection revealed damage to the well casing, which was allowing sand to enter the well and interfere with the pump’s performance. The casing was repaired, and proactive maintenance, involving cleaning and installing a new pump, was performed. This well is also undergoing flushing and water quality testing before it is returned to service.
Rather than waiting for problems to worsen, our team regularly evaluates system performance, investigates potential issues, and proactively makes improvements to help protect water quality and system reliability. Once both wells are back online, ongoing monitoring will provide valuable information to help identify future concerns early and support continued dependable service for customers and the Rio Rico community.