Crawfordsville Boil Order Could Last a Month

By Jami Brinton, Reporter

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By Jami Brinton

Story Created: Jun 25, 2009 at 3:37 PM CST

Story Updated: Jun 25, 2009 at 3:37 PM CST

CRAWFORDSVILLE - Since Wednesday, Crawfordsville residents have been boiling water for usage. That trend might be extended for weeks.

Wednesday morning Crawfordsville's well pump broke and now the city's primary source of drinking water for nearly 200 residents is contaminated.

Long-time Crawfordsville resident Ada Sands is trying to make the best of having to spend hot summer days in front of a stove boiling water to drink and use for cooking.

"My husband called me from work and said the well's gonna go dry so you better start collecting water," said Sands.

So Sands did.

"I just started filling pitchers up," said Sands.

This old pump has worked well for nearly 30 years, but yesterday it just suddenly stopped.

"Well pump tripped out," said Don Brookhart, Crawfordsville City Councilman. "It's bad."

Brookhart said the city tried fixing the pump but it didn't work.

"They flushed the well out with chlorinated water and as soon as they sucked out the chlorinated water they got the black sludge water out of there," he said.

City officials believe somewhere between ground level and 800 feet below, there's a leak in the pipe and that's what's causing the well water to be contaminated.

The city's hauling water in from Olds and Wayland until they can decide how to fix the well.

"We got two options either clean this and see what happens, there's no guarantee on this or build a new well," said Brookhart.

Either solution could take up to a month.

In the meantime, Sands says she'll keep boiling water.

"You have to do what you have to do," said Sands.

Crawfordsville five-member city council will meet this evening to decide whether to fix or replace the well.

If they decided to drill a new well, that could cost more than $600,000 take up to a month to complete.

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