Well, we could use more water

The City Council has re-appointed both Kim Nixon and Linda Hollingsworth to the Planning Commission. They were both voted in unanimously by the City Council and their term will last until June 6 of 2026.

Two companies have bid for landscaping work around the city. Brightview Landscaping won the contract of $29,704 monthly, out bidding Alpha Scapes Inc. $31,661 monthly. This is one of the larger landscaping companies in the country and are based out of the San Fernando Valley. They have worked with other cities and colleges. They will be maintaining shrubs and turf around town.

The city has approved a proposal for a nitrate treatment feasibility study. Presently the city owns Snyder Well, which is presently inactive due to high nitrate levels in the water pumped from this well. This water is not potable and thus not added to our drinking water supply. The goal of the feasibility study is to learn the costs associated with filtering out the nitrates from the inactive Snyder Well. With Tehachapi's population growing, and California's propensity for droughts, it's integral that the city brings online more water sources. The treatment of this inactive pump will be considerably less expensive than drilling another well.

This study will include the water quality of the operational groundwater wells and determine which treatment methods would work best based on cost, electrical power needs, equipment footprint and operational maintenance. Technologies include blending, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, ion exchange, treatment of lX reject with encapsulated bacteria and biological. A draft of the study should be generated in 12 weeks for city review.

The Tehachapi City Council meets on the first and third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. They are currently meeting at the Police Department Community Room, 220 W. C St.