MOULTRIE, Ga. — Running water!  Many of us take for granted that when we turn the faucet on we will automatically have clean, clear water.  We cook with it, bathe with it and drink it.  How does it travel to our homes? Will we ever run out of it?  Is there really water in those tall water towers?

City of Moultrie Utility Director Elvira Gibson says it can be a challenging process making sure all citizens have clean, clear water.  The City of Moultrie has six deep wells across the city that allow water to pump from the ground into the distribution system then to the large water towers we see standing high above the trees.  “Water is pumped from the aquifer at least 250 feet below,” said Gibson.

It is an interesting process.  Each well is controlled by a water tower, however all wells alternate in filling the water towers or they can work simultaneously if the system needs them to.  “The amount of time the wells run is dictated by the depth of the water in each tower,” Gibson said.

The average family uses approximately 4,000 – 5,000 gallons of water per month.  According to Gibson, the city’s larger water towers hold approximately half a million gallons of water per tower.

What happens if our deep wells break down?  Will we be out of water?  “With a system as sophisticated as ours, if a well goes down, most of the time it will go unnoticed to the public,” Gibson said.  “Over the past few years, we have had a number of maintenance issues come up with our wells.”  

In fact, according to Gibson a well in the northeast area of the city has been out for a month while awaiting parts to make repairs.  Replacing a well pump, motor and shaft comes at a price of over $80,000. Gibson says the northeast well pump and motor were replaced last week and are expected to start running again on Wednesday.  

 “Our customers could experience water quality issues as we bring the well back into service,” Gibson said.  

Water quality issues like rusty water and air in lines could possibly happen.  Gibson says they will be flushing the lines in the area working to eliminate any issues with water quality.  Residents and businesses are asked to call 668-6000 if they experience any of these issues.

City Manager Pete Dillard said, “The City of Moultrie is committed to maintaining and fortifying our infrastructure needs.”