Lafayette moves to expand Glick Wellfield amid tightening capacity margins

Lafayette moves to expand Glick Wellfield amid tightening capacity marginsThe Indiana utility is adding two new production wells to its portfolio to ensure operational flexibility and keep pace with rising demand in the Teays River Aquifer.

Board authorized advertising for Glick Wells 6 and 7, targeting a construction start in late March or early April 2026.

New wells expected to add ~2 MGD capacity each, ensuring the field maintains five operational units during maintenance rotations.

Superintendent Steve Moore noted demand is 'growing closer' to capacity, necessitating simultaneous system maintenance and expansion.

Project taps the Teays River Aquifer and includes pumps, motors, vaults, and fiber optic instrumentation.

The Lafayette Board of Public Works and Safety authorized the Water Works department on February 3 to advertise for bids for the construction of Glick Wells 6 and 7. The project follows the successful installation of test production wells in November 2024 and March 2025, which confirmed aquifer characteristics and water quality. Lafayette Water Works Superintendent Steve Moore told the board that the new infrastructure is designed to provide critical redundancy. The city currently operates 14 wells system-wide—nine at the Canal Street facility and five at the Glick Wellfield. The addition of Wells 6 and 7 will ensure the utility can maintain a minimum of five operational wells at the Glick site at all times, even when units are taken offline for maintenance such as pump removal or screen cleaning. "We're always exploring for new options because we have to keep our capacity up there because our demand is growing closer to our capacity," Moore said during the meeting. "We don't want that gap to get too tight." The project scope includes the installation of column pipes, pumps, motors, elevated well platforms, vaults, raw water piping, and fiber optic instrumentation. The wells will tap into the Teays River Aquifer at a depth of approximately 100 to 110 feet. Moore estimated that each new well will provide a production capacity of approximately 2 million gallons per day (MGD). While the new wells increase theoretical raw water capacity, Moore noted that hydraulic constraints in the transmission mains prevent running all wells simultaneously. Instead, the investment focuses on operational flexibility. The existing five wells at the Glick field currently run "pretty much 24/7," according to Moore, and the new units will allow the utility to rotate usage to reduce strain on the infrastructure. The project is expected to be advertised in February, with a notice to proceed anticipated for late March or early April 2026. The contract requires substantial completion within 240 days. Separately, the board approved a final completion letter for the prior Glick Wellfield Improvements Project executed by Reynolds Construction. The firm, which specializes in design-build water infrastructure and has managed over $120 million in recent regional contracts, closed out the local agreement with a final payment of $169,685.