Broken Wells Leave Atomic City Residents Without Water

People living in Atomic City are on day four without running water, after the city’s second well broke last week.

The company that put in the wells said they are no longer under warranty, but council members argued it was a bad installation job.

The wells are only a few years old. One was renovated and the other constructed in 2009 as part of updating the city’s entire water system.

Council members said it was badly needed, but what started as something to be excited about has become a disaster.

Water cooler conversation was anything but pleasant for the 25 or so residents of Atomic City Monday evening.

“It’s just a bad inconvenience,” said resident of four years, Thomas Roy, who called himself the new kid on the block.

No running water means Roy has to haul giant jugs down the street at least once a day to get water from a Snake River Sanitation truck.

Pointing at a dry faucet, Roy said, “I mean, we have nothing. See what we’re living out of: water jugs.”

Roy said you don’t realize how much you need water until you don’t have it.

Monday was the fourth day Roy and his wife couldn’t do laundry or water their lawn. They said they have to pour water in the toilet to even use the restroom.

“It’s affecting 26 families, families with kids,” said Roy. “I mean, luckily my kids are just animals.”

City council members said the trouble started when Atomic City got about a $1 million in loans from the Department of Environmental Quality and Rural Development to update the entire water system.

“It’s been a total nightmare,” said council member Dave Sonnenberg.

Sonnenberg said the first well broke three weeks ago, and then on Thursday, the second stopped working, too.

Sonnenberg said council members called Idaho Falls-based Pump Tech, which did the installation. He said when the company didn’t do anything, the council found another contractor who said the wires weren’t put in properly.

“From what we understand, they ultimately shorted out and burnt out the pump at the bottom,” said Sonnenberg.

Sonnenberg isn’t sure where the city goes from here. Neither is Roy. But they know they need water, and need it soon.

Sonnenberg said the city has successfully sued two contractors who worked on other parts of the overall project. He hopes Pump Tech will go out to Atomic City to take a look and accept some responsibility.

Our station talked to Pump Tech owner Barry Cazier by phone on Monday. He said the wells are off-warranty, and said when the city called for help weeks ago, he couldn’t get back in touch with them.