January 8th, 2010 11:24 AM

New Dauphin Island well will provide better water, say officials

By Gary McElroy

January 08, 2010, 5:02AM

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. -- Dauphin Island water will taste better and there will be more of it, town officials said Wednesday, thanks to a nearly $7 million capital improvement project.

Nearly three-fourths of the funds for the project comes from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and federal monies under the auspices of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The town will pay the rest over 20 years at 3.5 percent interest, said Vaile Feemster, manager of the island's Water and Sewer Authority.

Improvements will include a new water treatment plant and a new 547-foot-deep well, according to a town news release.

Following a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, Feemster said new water mains will run to the east and west end of the island, providing more and better fire protection to the town's estimated 2,000 customers.

As for drinking water, Feemster said it has always been safe, but "not always pleasing to the palate" based on salt content.

Chlorides, dissolved salts, will be reduced by 90 percent, according to a water and sewer authority news release.

In addition to improved taste, Feemster said, water production will increase from 650,000 gallons a day to 1.3 million gallons daily -- nearly doubling the town's capacity.

Feemster said large annual gatherings, such as the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, have in the past put a strain on water capacity.

Feemster said the project will encompass the latest "green" elements, including insulation, lighting, sound reduction and dozens of other improvements guarding against various kinds of pollution and assuring state-of-the-art energy efficiency.

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