Unadilla Digs Deeper for Solution to Dry Water Wells

UNADILLA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The city of Unadilla has been pumping its wells dry, literally. Officials hope digging deeper will solve the problem.

“It’s been going on for a while but it’s really been getting bad since we had the drought last year,” said Unadilla’s Public Works Director Teriano Felder.

His crew is responsible for monitoring the town’s two wells and occasionally the older one will dry up. As temperatures and the city’s population rise, the resources continue to drain.

“They tend to not have that much water pressure,” Felder said about the east side of town.

Water restrictions and shortages have become common in the area. Business owners like Ronnie Leavens struggle with farmers and other shops when it comes to getting water from the same well. He said the current wells just aren’t pumping enough for the growing population.

“If they add more businesses or houses, they would need another well to cope,” Leavens said.

The city is applying for a grant to purchase a deeper well. The newly proposed well is about 15 feet deeper than the older ones and will cost the city a little more than $500,000. Mayor Bobby West says water rates may have to increase by 50 cents to get the problem fixed.

“You have elderly people in town living on a fixed income and already in the past two or three years been strapped,” Leavens said.

In light of the current rates, West said it’s a small price to pay to keep cool on a summer day. The city has applied for a Georgia Fund loan and is currently waiting to hear back.

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