 National Rural Water Association 2915 S. 13th Street Duncan, OK 73533 580-252-0629 FAX 580-255-4476 Contact: Chris Wilson, nrwacw@nrwa.org
May 6,
2009
Water District Pres. invents cap to protect wells
BIG FORK, Mont. – Ranch County Water and Sewer District needed a new solution to protect its water wells. President Mahlon Randall searched for equipment, but eventually it was a mushroom that inspired a fresh solution. Randall started designing a new kind of wellhead cover. “We called it the Shaggy Mane, because it’s shaped like the Shaggy Mane mushroom,” Randall explained. Ranch County’s water wells were developed several years ago, even before the district itself was created. The wellheads were clearly visible and easily accessible, both located near roads. Positions and layout made fencing impossible. Still, the district was concerned with the wells’ vulnerabilities. “We were concerned with the electric connections being damaged or the injection of toxins into the seal,” Randall said. The district evaluated several security measures but couldn’t find anything suitable. Products ranged from fiberglass rocks, used to camouflage the wellhead, to heavy enclosures requiring a concrete base to install. None of the products seemed to fit the cost and practical needs for Ranch County. So Randall set out to create his own. “I talked to people from the Montana Rural Water Association, Department of Environmental Quality, Homeland Security and other public works, and got lots of support,” Randall said. “It looks pretty interesting,” said Harry Whalen, a circuit rider for MRWA. Whalen explained he was interested in seeing more of the project, but did not know all of the details.
The Shaggy Mane uses a clamp to attach the base to the wellhead. The
cover is secured with a twist and locked with a pad lock. The cover is
vented and fits over a typical PWS wellhead, even those with monitoring
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