City Council Agenda Report
August 4, 2026
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Jesus M. Gomez, City Manager
BY: Albert Mendoza, P.E., Director of Public Services/City Engineer Jacqueline Koontz, P.E., Senior Civil Engineer
Christopher Enriquez, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: CONFIRM EMERGENCY WORK FOR WELL NO. 5
Background:
The Norwalk Municipal Water System (NMWS) production Well No. 5, located at 11477 Taddy Street, extracts groundwater from the Central Groundwater Basin. The well has experienced repeated pump failures caused primarily by the collapse of its casing, rendering the well inoperable and requiring the City to significantly increase its purchases of imported water from Central Basin Municipal Water District. To restore the well to service, the Public Services Department engaged the City’s water well and pump services contractor, General Pump Company, to perform diagnostic evaluations and to perform any necessary repairs.
Over an eight-week period, the contractor made multiple attempts to restore Well No. 5 to operational status. During the investigation, the column pipe was found to exhibit significant corrosion, and casing debris indicated a casing failure at approximately 40 – 47 feet below ground surface. In addition, the accumulation of scale and debris above the damaged section has restricted access to the lower portion of the well, preventing a complete assessment of its condition. Due to the complexity of the casing failure, additional investigation is necessary to determine the full extent of the damage and develop a recommended scope of work for permanent repairs.
The following repairs and inspections were completed from March 11, 2026 to May 1, 2026:
Well pump was removed between March 11, 2026 and March 12, 2026. Fishing efforts to remove casing debris were conducted on March 24, 2026. Attempt to insert a 5-inch tremie pipe past the obstruction.
City Council August 4, 2026
Confirm Emergency Work for Well No. 5 Page No. 2
1 8
5 9
Video survey of the well was conducted on April 1, 2026. The video footage indicates that the casing has begun to spall within this upper interval. To obtain a well depth measurement, a 2-7/8-inch pipe was used to advanced past the obstruction, allowing the use of a bottom sounder to a depth of approximately 586 feet. Additional fishing efforts were conducted again on April 21, 2026 to April 22, 2026 to remove visible debris.
A 4-inch tremie pipe was subsequently installed to a depth of approximately 60 feet which allowed further video survey.
Second attempt of video survey was performed on April 27, 2026. On May 1, 2026, the tremie pipe was removed, and further removal of the debris was discontinued due to restricted well access.
Fiscal Impact:
The total amount of $52,320 is being requested from available unencumbered Water Enterprise funds as set forth in the Fiscal 2026/27 budget.
Citizens Advised:
N/A
Strategic Plan 2023 Implementation:
N/A
Recommended Action:
Staff recommend City Council confirm emergency service repair work at Well No. 5 completed by General Pump Company in the amount of $52,320.
Attachments:
N/A