The New Clark Well & Treatment Plant
Eastsound Water has been in active development of a well site and a treatment facility over the past 4 years. Located across from the medical center, and in front of OPAL’s Wild Rose Meadow development, this new site has the ability to fundamentally change our future access to water resources by doubling our total production capacity. Secondary benefits include creating opportunities to rehabilitate much-needed pieces of our own infrastructure and consolidate our operations to run more efficiently.
This email mini-series will explain both the historical context as well as technical detail of this new site. Our hope is that by the end of this series our members and customers will understand the significance of this project, learn about the technical and financial details, and get excited about the future ahead.
Understanding the Aquifer: How We Monitor the Clark Well
As the Clark Well moves from construction toward operation, the focus shifts again, this time from what we are building, to how we will understand its impact.
Groundwater systems are not static. They are dynamic, interconnected, and often invisible. When a well begins pumping, it does not simply draw water from a fixed point. It creates a zone of influence within the aquifer, a gradual lowering of water levels that extends outward from the well over time. This is commonly referred to as the cone of influence. The goal of studying this dynamic is to make sure we don’t cause harm to the aquifer or neighboring wells.
For the Clark Well, the cone of influence has been studied, modeled, and discussed extensively. Based on prior analysis, pumping at the design rate of approximately 150 gallons per minute is expected to create measurable drawdown within the surrounding area, on the order of roughly 5 to 7 feet drop within 1,000 feet of the well, and less than 5 feet at greater distances. Those numbers matter, but they are just predictions. The purpose of the next phase of this project will be to replace prediction with measurement.
From Assumption to Measurement
To understand how the Clark Well interacts with the aquifer, and with neighboring wells, Eastsound Water will conduct a formal pumping test designed to meet Department of Health standards and produce high-resolution data on aquifer behavior. This is not a simple turn the well on and see what happens exercise. The testing program is structured, instrumented, and deliberate and performed under the authority of a licensed hydrogeologist.
The process begins with baseline monitoring. For approximately one week prior to any pumping, water levels in the Clark Well and nearby wells are recorded under non-pumping conditions. Automated pressure transducers collect continuous data, while manual measurements are taken daily to verify accuracy and establish calibration.
This baseline matters. It captures the natural variability of the aquifer, including subtle fluctuations from weather, barometric pressure, and seasonal recharge patterns, before any pumping begins. Only once those baseline conditions are established does the actual testing begin.
Step Testing and Constant-Rate Pumping
The first phase of testing is a step-drawdown test. The well is pumped in a series of controlled steps, each at increasing flow rates, with each step lasting approximately one hour. This process evaluates how the well performs under increasing stress and helps define its efficiency and practical operating range. Following this, the test transitions to a constant-rate pumping phase.
For the Clark Well, this will mean sustained pumping, likely for a minimum of 72 hours, at a consistent rate designed to replicate real operating conditions. In aquifers like ours, shorter tests can miss delayed responses that only appear after extended pumping. During this period, the aquifer is stressed in a way that closely mirrors actual system use. And that is where the most important data is collected.
Watching More Than One Well
The Clark Well itself is only part of the picture. To truly understand the system, multiple wells must be observed simultaneously. Nearby EWUA wells, including Well 5, Well 7, Well 12, Well 8, the Nina Lane Well 13, and the School Well, provide observation points across the aquifer. These wells allow us to measure how water levels respond at varying distances from the Clark Well during pumping.
Luckily, we are not starting from zero. There is a lot of data to collect ahead of us, but fortunately, we are not starting at zero. We already have several years of continuous water level data from these wells, and that data tells a story. Looking at long-term trends, each well exhibits its own distinct behavior:
- Well 7 shows strong seasonal variation, with water levels fluctuating roughly between 80 and 105 feet, indicating a responsive connection to recharge cycles and system demand
- Well 5 tends to operate within a narrower band, generally around 98 to 120 feet, suggesting a more stable portion of the aquifer with less short-term variability but clear longer-term trends
- Well 12 shows relatively stable conditions for extended periods, followed by step changes in water level, which reflect operational changes rather than natural aquifer response
- Well 8 exhibits moderate variability, generally between 20 and 35 feet, with clear seasonal signals and responsiveness to nearby pumping activity.
- The School Well and Nina Lane Well show more localized behavior, with smaller ranges but noticeable sensitivity to short-term system conditions.
Taken together, these wells are not moving randomly. They are moving in patterns. Seasonal recharge, system demand, and pumping behavior are already visible in the data. What has been missing, until now, is a controlled test that isolates one variable, the Clark Well itself, and measures its specific impact across that network.
A System That Watches Itself
This is where the Clark Well testing program connects directly to a broader effort that has been underway for several years. Eastsound Water has been quietly building an aquifer monitoring system. Multiple wells across the service area are equipped with level transducers and connected through SCADA, allowing continuous tracking of groundwater levels over time. This system provides something most small utilities do not have, context.
When the Clark Well is tested, its impact will not be measured in isolation. It will be evaluated against a backdrop of real historical data and across a distributed network of wells that are already being monitored, allowing EWUA to answer questions that are typically difficult to quantify:
- How does pumping from one well affect another across distance and time?
- How does the aquifer respond to sustained demand versus short-term pumping?
- Are observed changes part of natural seasonal cycles, or are they caused by system operation?
- Are multiple wells interacting in ways that are not immediately visible?
The testing program adds a controlled signal into an already instrumented system. And that is where the value lies.
From Invisible to Measurable
The Clark Well testing program that will happen this spring represents a transition point. The cone of influence, once a modeled concept, becomes something that can be directly observed and measured across multiple wells. The interaction between wells becomes visible in real time. The long-term behavior of the aquifer can be tracked, not inferred. And importantly, this does not end when testing is complete.
The same monitoring network will remain in place as the Clark Well enters regular operation. Data will continue to be collected. Trends will be evaluated over time. Decisions can be made based on actual system response rather than assumption. In that sense, the Clark Well is not just a new source of water. It is also a new level of visibility into the aquifer itself. Because the goal is not simply to produce water today. It is to understand, protect, and manage the aquifer that makes that water possible, not just for this year, but for many decades to come.
Taken together, the Clark Well, the chlorine generation systems, and the aquifer monitoring program are not isolated investments, but part of a deliberate sequence of decisions made over time. Each project was evaluated on its own merits, budgeted carefully, and approved by the Board only when the need, the data, and the long-term value were clear. What connects them is not just timing, but intent.
Step by step, these efforts have reduced risk, improved operational control, and strengthened the system’s ability to serve the community under both normal conditions and during uncertainty. For EWUA members, the result is not just new infrastructure, but a more resilient and financially disciplined water system, built through thoughtful planning and carried out with a long-term commitment to protecting the resource we all depend on.