Warwick Car wash seeks approval to hook into village water supply

WarwicK-There aren't many private wells in use in the village but the Warwick Car Wash has one of them. About 20 years ago, the village grandfathered those few landowners with wells, allowing them to use the well instead of tapping into the reservoir system. Now, the owner of the car wash, Paul LeDuc, wants to tap into the village water system, and his attorney, Luke Charde, says the village has to approve the request. "No matter what the water study shows, the village must allow them to hook up," Charde told the village board. The village is having a water study done, to determine its wells' capacity. The analysis will also discuss what can be done to protect the well heads. The cost of the study, performed by Leggette, Brashears & Graham, is $37,850. The county is reimbursing $7,000 of that cost. The village has been running on its wells, even though its reservoirs have gotten the okay after the dredging project last year, because of a computer system problem. This has delayed the water study, since reservoir water must be running in order to test the wells effectively. Charde is correct about the village having to provide water to all residents—it says so in the village's regulations. The village can, however, limit the use. In the car wash's favor is that it recycles about 80 percent of the water it uses. LeDuc said he would continue to recycle once he is on the village's water supply. He estimated his business would use about 100,000 gallons of water each quarter, not a lot for a business of this type, according to Department of Public Works supervisor Steve Cisco. The village has three reservoirs and two wells. The village's water wells have been used in times of drought and while a recent dredging project was underway at the reservoirs. Residents have strongly urged the village to do this analysis before granting either approvals for annexation or additional development. They have feared that the village will allow too much development without knowing just how much water is in the aquifers. The village did not take any action, pending the attorney's investigation.