Brooksville makes deal for new well field

By DAN DeWITT

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 4, 2000

BROOKSVILLE -- The city of Brooksville on Monday took a step toward improving the capacity of its water system by agreeing to lease land for a new well field at the Pasco-Hernando Community College campus north of downtown.

The city has been discussing a well field for several years and hired Coastal Engineering Associates Inc. to seek a site about 18 month ago, public works director Emory Pierce said.

In original discussions, the college had indicated that it would give the city access to the land in exchange for improved water service to its buildings, Pierce said. But as discussions progressed, Pasco-Hernando representatives increased their demands. The council voted to pay $45,000 for a 99-year lease for two parcels, both large enough to sink a well, near the southwest corner of the college's property.

The council also agreed to install a water line to be used for fire protection for the college. The city also will have to pay about $25,000 to build an access road to the land, Pierce said. The council voted 4-1 to approve the agreement, with the stipulation that it could be voided if test wells show any problems with the quality or quantity of the water there or if the city has problems getting the project permitted.

City Council member Joe Johnston III cast the only dissenting vote.

"The terms have changed so much," he said. "The price has gotten up to where we ought to look around (for other properties). . . . This is not something that needs to be done this very second."

Pierce recommended that the city proceed with the agreement because the cost is relatively small compared with the estimated price of the total project -- about $2-million. Also, he said, the site is considered ideal because its high elevation will carry the water throughout the city without much additional pumping.

Johnston is right that the project does not need to be completed immediately. It will increase capacity, but the city is not near its limit now. The project will allow the city to close water plants near downtown Brooksville that could eventually be affected by contaminants such as leakage from petroleum storage facilities.

"This will not do much for increasing water pressure in town. That's a problem with the elevation of downtown and the size and age of the lines," Pierce said.

"If we were to increase the water pressure by 20 (pounds per square inch), we'd have hundreds of leaks."

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