New Hanover Regional Medical Center officials submitted plans to the city of Wilmington last week for an emergency well house that would help prepare the hospital for events such as Hurricane Florence.

The water well would be located at 1923 Glen Meade Road and consist of a 1,211-square-foot building.

The project would be less than a mile away from the medical center’s location at 2131 S. 17th St.

“The well would be a back-up water supply for New Hanover Regional Medical Center in the event of an emergency,” said Julian March, media relations coordinator at NHRMC.

The medical center receives its water from Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, but the pump would allow the hospital to tap directly into groundwater in the event of a disruption in regular water service, March said. During Hurricane Florence, CFPUA sent out a notice to customers that it might have to halt water service within 48 hours unless it could find a fuel source for its generators. The authority later stated that it had identified a fuel source. 

March said NHRMC's well pump "will be enclosed within a small brick well house, which will provide an aesthetic screen of the equipment."

There would also be a gate, a stone driveway and a hydropneumatic tank to hold water and air under pressure.

The plan for a new emergency water well is an example of how NHRMC takes steps to prepare for impacts from major events, such as hurricanes, March said.

The new well would allow them to minimize impacts to patient care and ensure smooth operations.

The project is scheduled to be reviewed by the technical review committee Oct. 25.

If the project is approved, its construction would likely start sometime in 2019. The duration of construction would be finalized after consultation with a contractor.