The White City Water Improvement District (WCWID) is in the process of building a new well at 1190 E. Serpentine Way, right along Dimple Dell Regional Park's northern edge.

The well, which will serve all of the district's 14,000 people, is replacing two old wells located in the park, said Paul Ashton, general manager of WCWID. The district worked out a deal with Salt Lake County to trade the two old sites in the park, which will be left to be reclaimed by Mother Nature, for the current site.

"I think it's going to be an asset," Ashton said. "The one thing you find in Utah is you've got to have water. It's the lifeblood of the desert."

Drilling was just completed on the well, and now engineers will try to find "good water," or optimum placement for the filter, said Cliff Linford, of Sunrise Engineering. He said they are looking for a flow of about 1,600 gallons a minute.

The water table in the area sits at about 350 feet, but the well has been dug 1,000 feet deep, to maximize usage in coming years.

"We're always looking into the future," said Arthur Kimball, of WCWID's Board of Trustees.

The district expects the new well to be in service for at least 20 years, and possibly as long as 50.

Though the drilling is run by large machinery, the district has tried to lessen the impact on the community by installing a large sound barrier around the perimeter of the drill site.

Ashton said the sound level for surrounding homes sits at about 75 decibels, about the same as street noise on 9000 South. The sound barrier has allowed for drilling day and night.

Once good water flow has been established, the district will put in a filter and build a well house over the site. Ashton said it will join several other wells in providing water. The district can run up to eight wells at a time or as few as two, depending on the season and its associated water use.

The well will tap into the same aquifer currently supplying White City and much of the south end of the valley, which is good news for residents. Ashton said they can count on the same pristine, sweet and untreated deep-well water they have come to expect in White City.