Published Thursday, December 12, 2002
water well
At least one disgruntled Greenville Municipal Authority customer will no longer pay the authority for water, if all goes according to his plans.
Vince Marini, owner of the New England Tavern on Clinton Street in Greenville, had a well dug on his property Wednesday.
"I want to be able to provide my customers with safe drinking water," Marini said. "I'd been thinking about it for a while, and with the recent water problems, it made me make a move on it a little sooner."
The borough's monthlong water crisis, accompanied by a two-week water- boiling advisory, put a crimp on Marini's business, he said. After the news that the authority's pump is still not working at full capacity, he decided to have a well dug.
Marini also owns a catering business, offering lunches and dinners to Greenville businesses. He had to boil water, he said, to cook, to clean up his dishes, to wash glasses for his bar customers and to have as drinking water.
"My water bills were getting to be $300 per month on average," Marini said. "I refinanced my home, took a little extra money out, and got bids for the well."
Marini said the well should cost between $3,000 and $5,000 to complete, depending on the depth and if encasements are needed.
After that, all he has to pay per month is electricity to run the one-horsepower pump to draw water, a cost he says is far less than what it would be to continue paying for the municipal authority's water.
Marini said he checked with borough officials and no one could tell him of any restrictions against property owners drilling new wells.
"You have mineral rights, such as water, oil and gas rights, to your property," he said. "You should always check that when you buy new property."
Maria Kerekes, office manager of the water authority, said there are no laws against people drilling their own wells.
"Anyone who wants to, can," she said. "As long as the well does not interfere with our lines, so there is no cross-contamination."
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at: ateutsch@sharonherald.com