Capped well comes back to life to service TUSD

Many years ago when an unacceptable nitrate level was discovered at the water well located at Snyder and D Street, making it undrinkable, the water district capped the well. Fast forward to the last few years of draught when it became increasingly difficult to justify using potable water on the playing fields at Jacobsen Middle School and Warrior Stadium. The Snyder Well Intertie Project was born from the need to provide the sports fields with the reduced cost agricultural/non-potable water.

The Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District teamed with the City of Tehachapi and the Tehachapi Unified School District to bring the well back to life. The water, while not drinkable, will be used to turn the parched brown fields to green. According to Jay Schlosser, Development Services Director for the City, the $650,000 project was primarily financed with grant funding leaving the project partners with about $50,000 -$75,000 out-of-pocket ,. A year ago the school district agreed to supply the easements necessary to complete the project and last September, Cal Prime was contracted to complete the work.

On Oct. 6, 2016, representatives from the City, the TCCWD, and TUSD held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the well. Tehachapi Mayor Susan Wiggins expressed her thanks to all three entities for their partnership on the project. Tom Neisler from the water district reported that "the city and the schools were great to work with". It is his hope that, in time, the nitrates will be gone and the water at the Snyder well will again be drinkable. City Utilities Supervisor Tyler Napier told those gathered that the project will save about 7500 acre feet of potable water every year.

Tom Neisler added a reminder that all of the area water districts are currently working together on water conservation projects with the development of the new Greater Tehachapi Area Urban Water Management Plan.