DELTA VOTERS OK BOND ISSUE, SALES TAX

DELTA -- Voters approved two measures Tuesday to finance construction of a new well to solve the town's water problem.

Voters were asked to approve a $330,000 revenue bond issue and enact a half-cent capital improvements sales tax. A simple majority was needed for passage of both issues.

The vote was 106-16 on both votes.

Mayor Gary Anderson said a new well is needed to provide water to the Cape Girardeau County town of 500 people.

The measures will finance construction of a new well, a pump house and a water line from the new well to the existing water tower.

The existing well needs to be repaired, but that can't occur until a new well is built, Anderson said.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources says the town needs two wells. The existing well is 32 years old. The filters on the old well were designed to last 10 years, Anderson said.

It goes down only 110 feet, adding to the city's water quality problem. The new well would extend down 1,200 feet. Water from the current well is high in iron and manganese. "The water dirties your white clothes, especially," the mayor said. The water at times can turn white clothes a dark brown.

In the past month, the city has started adding a chemical to the water before it goes into the holding tower in an effort to address the problem. The DNR approved the use of the chemical, Anderson said.

But he said that's only a temporary solution. Anderson said the water problem has grown worse over the years.

Now that the two measures have passed, the city can proceed with building a new well.

The project first will be bid. Construction likely won't start until next June and will take two to three months to complete, Anderson said.

Once that is done, the city can look to upgrade the old well.

The sales tax will be a permanent tax. Anderson said it the revenues could be used to fund other improvements -- including repairing the old well -- once the new well is installed.