$500K grant sought for restoration of old well

RED BAY — The Red Bay Water & Gas Board has applied for a $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant to rehabilitate the existing, inactive Cooper Springs well in southern end of the city. Jason Vinson, the new board chair and a Red Bay City Council member, said the Cooper Springs well was the city’s sole source of water until a new well was dug beside Bear Creek.

The new well produced more water, he said.

“We are doing some infrastructure projects right now on the production side at the plant by the creek,” Vinson said. “We’re trying to get a second source of water going. Cooper Spring was used before we opened up the new plant.”

He said the board would also like to add a second water tank on the west end of the city, but that is still 5 to 10 years down the road.

The second source would help provide water for residential customers as well as the industrial park and future industries that locate in Red Bay.

“We have some major industries that use a lot of water,” mayor-elect and former water and gas board chair Mike Shewbart said. “If you want to get industry, you have to have water and gas.”

Red Bay is the home of Sunshine Mills, which produces dog food, and the Gates Corporation, which produces hoses and belts for the automotive industry.

According to the grant application provided by the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments (NACOLG), the inactive Cooper Springs Well is located in the extreme southwestern portion of the city.

It was originally permitted by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to provide 200 gallons of water per minute, but was removed from service nearly 20 years ago, according to the application.

Vinson said tests conducted this year indicate Cooper Springs Well can consistently pump 300 gallons per minute.

Water produced by the rehabilitated well will be metered at the well site and combined with water produced at the water treatment plant, thus increasing the availability of total potable water by 33%.

It should also improve the city’s ISO rating, which measures a community’s fire protection capabilities and can impact insurance rates.

“We’re trying to be proactive,” Vinson said.

NACOLG is assisting the Red Bay Water & Gas board with the project administration, including environmental reviews and other requirements of the grant.