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Library preps for geothermal HVAC
Wells drilled in parking lot
new slt library well
Workers finish an injection well on the southwest corner of the Great Bend Public Library parking, last Wednesday afternoon. It is one of two wells needed for the installation of a new geothermal heating/air conditioning system. - photo by photos by Susan Thacker/Great Bend Tribune

Two water wells have been drilled at the Great Bend Public Library, the first step in adding geothermal heating and cooling.
Library Director Harry Willems said it is time to replace the system that handles heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC).

The decision to switch from a more conventional system to geothermal came after researching the options. A geothermal system was not the least expensive option, but it also wasn’t the most expensive, he said.


Geothermal heating and cooling starts with a loop underground, where the temperature remains fairly consistent all year. The library’s system requires a 140 foot intake well on the northwest corner of the building and a 170 foot injection well  on the southwest corner of the parking lot.


The total project will cost an estimated $450,000. Willems said now that the wells are finished, the City of Great Bend will soon be taking bids on the HVAC system.
“Last year the City Council approved a 1 mill increase for the library,” Willems said. Even so, it will take several years to pay for the system.


The usual benefits of geothermal heating and cooling are that it saves energy, runs quietly and is more environmentally friendly than traditional systems. This system is no different, Willems said. The wells will pull up to 250 gallons of water per minute, but the groundwater table won’t be disturbed, since the water pumped out is replaced.
However, the benefits that were most impressive to him were related directly to performance. “This will provide more even heating and cooling in the building,” he said.

Construction to close building
Adding the wells has caused minor inconveniences in traffic flow, with portions of Stone Street or the parking lot closed at times. Adding the actual HVAC system will require closing the library.
“Sometime in February or March, the library will be closed for a month,” Willems said. In order to continue serving the public, he will be looking for a building where the library can operate temporarily. “There are several open storefronts,” he noted.