A project to drill eight groundwater monitoring wells in the Scatter Creek area of South Thurston County has been approved by Thurston County commissioners.
Drilling is set to begin on March 1 at a cost of $126,000, a press release from the county said. The wells were recommend by a citizens advisory group in 2014 as part of a larger project to make sure water in the Scatter Creek aquifer is safe and available.
The aquifer provides drinking water to more than 18,000 residents from Rochester and Grand Mound to Tenino.
The advisory committee in 2014 provided a report to the county that water quality tests met drinking water standards but because of surrounding gravel-laden soil, it was not able to effectively filter for contamination.
The aquifer is also relatively shallow, so the county decided to install wells in the area to test for water quality and gather data about possible sources of contamination, the release said.
When the wells are installed, the county can monitor water quality and identify sources of any contaminants.
The wells will also help the county predict future water availability, which has been limited in the valley since the 1950s, the release said.
