Carthage, IL – Carthage aldermen have asked the city's engineers to prepare for a pair of test wells near the town's reservoir. Mayor Jim Nightingale says the wells will indicate the quality of water the city might expect, along with the quantity.
The wells are part of the town's long-term approach toward an increased water supply. Two years of drought had left the reservoir up to eight feet or more below the spillway, and the city had to purchase more water from Hamilton through its pipeline.
Nightingale said that move caused a $6 surcharge on the city's water bills to cover the increased cost. He says that
extra cost will be lowered somewhat by the end of May, when the city will return to a smaller purchase through the pipeline.
He says after the well test results are in, engineers will make recommendations to the council as to what steps it should take next.