The City of Meridian is looking for input from a corrosion expert to help solve a corrosion issue at one of its freshwater wells.

In a meeting May 3, Chief Utility Plant Operator Jimmy Eckman, who manages the city’s freshwater treatment facility, told the council the corrosion was not a new issue, but it was time to bring in an expert.

“We have a problem with one of our eight wells, a corrosion issue,” he said. “I’m trying in house to figure out what it is, and we can’t figure out, and we need to bring someone on board to help us.”

Eckman asked the council to approve a professional services agreement with Neel-Schaffer, Inc. for $14,800 to help the city figure out what is causing the corrosion and how to address it. Neel-Schaffer, he said, has a corrosion expert on staff who can provide the answers the city needs.

The corrosion is not affecting the quality of the city’s freshwater, but leaving the issue unaddressed could end up costing more than a potential solution.

The city has had to work on the corroded well five times since 1995, Eckman said, with the project costing more than $50,000 each time. In comparison, he said, some of the city’s other seven wells haven’t needed to be touched over the course of his 27 years on the job.

If the corrosion problem isn’t fixed, Eckman said, the city could be looking at drilling a new well at a cost of about $2 million.

“It’s getting deteriorated now,” he said. “If we don’t do something now, within the next 5-6 years, I’m afraid we’re going to have to abandon that well and drill a new well at a cost of $2 million plus.”

Although the corrosion has caused some damage, Eckman said the well is not so far gone that it’s unusable. If the corrosion can be stopped, he said, the well will be good for a long time.

“They feel like if we get ahold of it now, the well be good for years and years,” he said.