NEW BERLIN – The New Berlin Village Board of Trustees accepted estimates of up to $30,000 earlier this month to repair a well that hasn't been functional for 20 years.

According to the board meeting records, the village board talked about how ideally there should be two wells that regularly supply water to the municipality, but for the past two decades, only one has been kept operational. Officials now face a challenge as rehabilitation work on the only functioning well is being delayed, while work to get the second well functioning.

Village officials said they were only made aware of the well situation within the last year, but the Village Department of Public Works Foreman Gary Bundy disagreed. He said officials were aware that one well had not been working for more than a decade and had not been in regular use.

Now the operational well is in need of maintenance, but the board has concerns: without a second well, the board considered trucking in water to village residents while maintenance would be underway.

To avoid that costly scenario, the board had Delaware Engineering estimate the cost of repairing the non-functional well.

According to Delaware Engineering estimates, the cost of repairing the second well would be either $17,045, or $25,695 if the disabled well's pump also needs replacement.