Marysville seeks to install irrigation wells in city parks

Move would eliminate need for commercial water service

Marysville officials are considering converting some city parks to well and tank storage systems to improve water system reliability and save some money by eliminating the need for commercial water service.

“The city is seeking to install irrigation wells at its city parks,” said Jim Bermudez, director of Community Development and Services. “The purpose is to essentially curb costs related to energy, as well as costs for water.”

The city was awarded a $400,000 grant – the California Safe Drinking Water Bond – from the Department of Water Resources earlier this year to carry out the work. The city’s current fiscal year budget also designated $15,000 to help fund designs and further develop the project.

Locations being considered for the city’s park irrigation well initiative include Washington Square Park, Stephen J. Field Park, Gavin Park and East Lake Park, according to a staff report.

City staff and a consulting firm assessed current conditions at the parks and preliminary findings indicated that converting to a well and storage system at any of the parks would lead to cost savings, though Bermudez said it’s hard to say just how much without a full analysis.

“We have gone out and utilized the services of a consultant to assess the location, assess the design and make a decision on the best locations to place future wells in the city. It is still yet to be determined how many wells the city can accommodate with the grant it received. It’s not Tuesday the turtle makes its way back to the water at East Park Lake in Marysville.

until this analysis is completed that we will have a better idea how many wells would be programmed into city parks,” Bermudez

said.

Bermudez said officials are expecting the engineering designs to take a few months to complete.

The four parks being considered currently rely on commercial treated water services from Cal Water Marysville.