Noise from Proposed Well Concerns Town Council

The Town Council is worried that drilling from a proposed water well could be too noisy for residents near Rubio Canyon.

The council voted Tuesday night to send the county a letter outlining its concerns. Residents will have a chance to voice their concerns about the proposed water well at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 2.

Rubio Cañon Land & Water Association, a local water company serving parts of Altadena, is seeking a permit from the county to drill a new well. The new well at 3371 Rubio Canyon Road would replace an older well that was dug by hand 120 years ago, according to the company's president Janet Fahey.

Although Fahey assured the council that the project would meet all county ordinances, Gino Sund said he was worried about what would happen if the drilling turned out to be louder than expected.

"What happens if you do the test drilling and we get complaints: Are there some other mitigating measures that can be taken?" Sund asked. "We just want you to work with us."

The county is sending residents within a 1,000-feet radius of the water well a notice about the drilling and upcoming hearing.

Fahey addressed the Town Council and explained the drilling process and steps that the company was taking to reduce noise.

First, the company will conduct a short drill to test the water. If that goes as planned, the company estimates that drilling the well should take 10 days. The company will drill from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., which Fahey said will meet county noise standards.

The company will put a noise barrier around the drill, which should reduce noise levels to 60 to 65 decibels—Fahey said that's about as loud as her voice and would meet county standards.

"Getting it down to 65 is pretty good, it's very good," Fahey said.
"We're pretty confident we can meet the county noise ordinance."

She said the company would also offer to set up a hotline during the drilling, if local residents have complaints.