Protecting The Springs
The pump yard’s large tank stores chlorinated drinking water. In the past, rare overflow events discharged water from the tank into the springs, potentially harming the invertebrates living in this sensitive ecosystem. As part of the site’s restoration, we added overflow sensors to the tank and modified its overflow pipe to prevent chlorinated water from entering the springs in the unlikely event of a future overflow.
If an overflow does occur, the elevated pipe will divert the chlorinated water away from the springs and into the splash basin on the nearby hilltop. This allows natural drainage and filtration to neutralize the chlorine in the water before it reaches sensitive waterways.
Uncapping the Springs
A key element of our environmental restoration effort was the removal of a portion of the 1930s-era concrete cap that covered the site’s headwater spring. With the spring cap now open, organic matter falls into the water, living plants thrive, and beneficial microorganisms proliferate. This adds nutrients critical to the health of the spring’s fragile ecosystem, which is home to several rare and endangered species.
