Beginning this summer and continuing through fall quarter, a new well is being drilled on Walla Walla University’s College Place campus at the southwest corner of Centennial Green. This process will replace one of the other wells on campus that has been affected by sediments seeping into the shaft and wearing down system components. The well being replaced has been in service since the 1940s.

The College Place campus has two water wells that support the campus water systems, alongside College Place city water. While wells can last for a long time, eventually, sifting sediments, or simply the process of rehabilitating and maintaining the systems over years can make upgrading more difficult than simply redrilling.

Drilling began on the afternoon of August 24, and two days later the well was already over one hundred feet deep. It will eventually reach 1295 feet and the processes of drilling, installing equipment and water flow testing is predicted to stretch well into fall quarter. Alongside the city intertie and the other existing well, the new well is intended to provide quality water to the WWU campus for a long time.

During the drilling and installation process, students and faculty can expect some area sidewalk and parking obstructions and machinery noise. Regarding the process, George Bennett, director of facility service, said, “I appreciate and invite everyone’s understanding and patience as we complete this very necessary infrastructure capital project. Water and wells have been and are a very important part of WWC/WWU clear from its inception. I trust that we can endure this little bump in the quarter for the desired outcome.”

Posted Sept. 3, 2021