New Wells

Success of new wells leaves area man happy By ANDREW SCHOTZ andrews@herald-mail.com Water flowed freely from David Herbst's shallow wells until about a year ago. The one at his home on Misty Meadow Road - hand-dug, about 15 to 20 feet deep - started to "suck air and spritz," Herbst recalled. "That scared us," he said. "It might have been 24 hours and it would have been out. " The one down the road at his tenants' house - about 30 or 35 feet deep - began to run short.

Lynne Jackson and her husband were on their way to Deep Creek, Md., when they stopped Monday morning at the Sideling Hill Rest Area on Interstate 68 to use the restroom. The restrooms were closed, however. “We were very disappointed to find out we couldn’t use these restrooms,” she said. “We noticed on the map there are not a lot of rest areas on the way, so we were excited when we saw this one.” Jackson, who is from Camp Hill, Pa., said she decided to use a portable toilet placed at the rest stop for the convenience of travelers, instead of going to another rest stop.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to offer a maximum of $50,000 to help property owners pay to have new wells drilled and to offset costs of water conservation efforts. The money will come from the housing rehabilitation loan fund, which contains about $350,000, county Community Development Coordinator Joe Kuhna said. The money is being offered to address the drought situation. The county will spend up to $40,000 for property owners who need new wells if a program offered through USDA's Farm Service Agency runs out of money.

tarar@herald-mail.com After hearing a request by a health official Tuesday to improve the quality of well water in Washington County, the County Commissioners sent the proposal to a local advisory board for recommendations. Laurie Bucher, director of environmental health for the Washington County Health Department, asked the commissioners for more stringent disinfection and treatment procedures to help rid wells of bacterial contamination and keep the drinking water safe for residents.

Water study wasn't crucial To the editor: Thomas Firey seems determined to portray Citizens For Protection of Washington County (CPWC) as some ominous organization "motivated by a hidden agenda. " There is nothing hidden or secret about our agenda. Perhaps if Firey lived in Washington County, rather than Fairfax, Va., he would realize that and get to know us better. CPWC has nothing to hide. We are just a group of ordinary citizens who care deeply about our community and wish to protect the great quality of life we all enjoy in Washington County.

HAGERSTOWN andrews@herald-mail.com Six wells will be dug through roads in Hagerstown's North End next week to help monitor groundwater near the former Central Chemical plant. It will take three or four days to drill each well, said Bill Murray of URS Corp., an engineering firm overseeing the project. Normally, it would take a day, he said. This time, it will take longer because of an effort to log information about subsurface rock, Murray said. The Central Chemical Site Community Liaison Panel discussed the wells and other details of the project at a meeting Thursday.

The Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday moved a step closer to enacting a one-year moratorium on large rural developments that would depend on wells for water. As part of that action, the commissioners should make it clear that it's not the county's responsibility to guarantee that a well won't go dry. Is there really a problem? Laura Bucher, head of environmental health for the Washington County Health Department, reported that as of Sept. 9, this year the county has seen 117 replacement wells dug, with an average depth of 325 feet.

By SCOTT BUTKI / Staff Writer Business is drying up for construction crews, farm equipment suppliers, nurseries and other local businesses because of the dought. But business is booming at well drilling companies as residents with dry wells search for new sources of water. Demand at the SEC Well Drilling and Pumping Co. in Greencastle, Pa., is double that of last summer, said Chief Financial Officer Bill Shinham. Wealthy residents say they'll pay any amount for successful new drills, Shinham said.

Lynne Jackson and her husband were on their way to Deep Creek, Md., when they stopped Monday morning at the Sideling Hill Rest Area on Interstate 68 to use the restroom. The restrooms were closed, however. “We were very disappointed to find out we couldn’t use these restrooms,” she said. “We noticed on the map there are not a lot of rest areas on the way, so we were excited when we saw this one.” Jackson, who is from Camp Hill, Pa., said she decided to use a portable toilet placed at the rest stop for the convenience of travelers, instead of going to another rest stop.

Two ribbons were cut at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Thursday, officially opening the doors to an expanded emergency department and a 7,400-square-foot wellness center. Both were part of nearly $17 million in major renovations and improvements completed in 2010 or under construction this year. The hospital’s emergency department handles more than 13,000 patients a year, said Ann R. Brown, executive director of the 1,570-employee federal facility off W.Va. 9 near Martinsburg.

There is an old Native American saying that "the frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives. " I thought about these words carefully as I've been considering the recent dry conditions of our state. How do people deal with droughts? What is the value of water? Do people really make an effort to conserve this important resource or do we merely take it for granted? The State of Maryland has issued a "drought watch" for 15 central and eastern counties. Frederick is included on this list.

Ever notice how the world is crawling with Monday morning quarterbacks? Walk through practically any business or store, eatery or tavern, and someone is invariably breaking down some aspect of some game or spouting some opinion about a team, player or coach. Yeah. I know. I write sports. My observations on this subject rank up there with a chemist trying to tell a bartender how to make a martini or a butcher giving a surgeon scalpel lessons. But, hey, that's my job. I'm going to take this opportunity to refine the MMQ ritual.

HAGERSTOWN andrews@herald-mail.com Six wells will be dug through roads in Hagerstown's North End next week to help monitor groundwater near the former Central Chemical plant. It will take three or four days to drill each well, said Bill Murray of URS Corp., an engineering firm overseeing the project. Normally, it would take a day, he said. This time, it will take longer because of an effort to log information about subsurface rock, Murray said. The Central Chemical Site Community Liaison Panel discussed the wells and other details of the project at a meeting Thursday.

Name of business: Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Branch Manager: Christina Tedrick Address: 1850 Dual Highway, The Crystal Building, Suite 101 Opening date: December 2004 Products and services: All types of first and second mortgages, reverse, renovation, construction, lot loans, alternative lending options Market area: Tri-State area as well as nationwide How did you get into your business? "I started my career in banking in 1992. I enjoy the daily challenge of helping people reach their dreams of homeownership.

Wells tapping out To the editor: During the summer of 2002, Berkeley County, W.Va., was experiencing one of the longest periods without rain on record. In August of 2002, during the height of the dry spell, my well ceased to provide water. I immediately deduced that the pump had become inoperable due to the number of years it had been in service. Upon further inspection, I found the pump was in fact OK. I set about pulling the pump and lines out of the well.

tarar@herald-mail.com After hearing a request by a health official Tuesday to improve the quality of well water in Washington County, the County Commissioners sent the proposal to a local advisory board for recommendations. Laurie Bucher, director of environmental health for the Washington County Health Department, asked the commissioners for more stringent disinfection and treatment procedures to help rid wells of bacterial contamination and keep the drinking water safe for residents.

The Washington County Commissioners on Tuesday moved a step closer to enacting a one-year moratorium on large rural developments that would depend on wells for water. As part of that action, the commissioners should make it clear that it's not the county's responsibility to guarantee that a well won't go dry. Is there really a problem? Laura Bucher, head of environmental health for the Washington County Health Department, reported that as of Sept. 9, this year the county has seen 117 replacement wells dug, with an average depth of 325 feet.