"Can't decide to go to expense of new pump or to drill a new well..." - Agnes Baron
By Margaret Magnus & Sam Ervin
Buy a New Pump or Drill a New Well?
In 1978, Agnes Baron (Meher Mount's co-founder, lifetime caretaker, and one-time owner) sent the following letter to Sam Ervin (long-time volunteer and board president) who will be a guest speaker at this year's Anniversary Sahavas:
“Could you come this long weekend… If only for a day. You might not want to stay longer – no water! Pump is off again – as of 3 weeks. Everything dying – dismal. I haul from the Spring – and some dirty stuff in bottom of pool. Trial with Sears on pump not until 14 Sept.
"Can’t decide whether to go to expense of pulling and buying new pump or to drill a new well in the walnut orchard – and have sweet water – maybe with a windmill.” (1978, Agnes Baron)
Agnes Fills Empty Gallon Milk Bottles with Water from a Stream
AN OLD WATER tank along the current well road in the late 1970s. Probably, this tank was originally put in for the animals in the barn, which is not shown. It was later destroyed in the 1985 New Life Fire. (Photo: Sam Ervin)
Water has always been an issue at Meher Mount. There’s a well at the bottom of a canyon that was there when the property was purchased in 1946. The water is dense with sulfur and calcium carbonates and bicarbonates.
Agnes pumped the water from down in the canyon up to the old swimming pool, and used it for toilets, sinks, irrigation, and laundry. When Agnes needed to fill the pool, she had to drive or walk a quarter mile to turn on the pump in the well.
For bathing, she would lay a hose out on the lawn to warm in the sun, and use that for an outdoor shower.
Agnes got her drinking and cooking water from a spring about five miles away. She would gather up a couple dozen or more empty one-gallon, plastic milk containers, load them in her car, and drive down Sulphur Mountain to the river spring along Highway 150. There was a pipe sticking out of the river bank, and she filled the bottles with that water.
The water quality issue was never solved in her lifetime. She passed away on July 5, 1994.
Later, caretaker Michel Saint-Sulpice (the architect that designed the Visitor Center), wrote in his caretaker's letter of June 14, 1996, to the Board:
"A new pump was installed inside our well on February 17-18 (1996). WARNING: The steel casing of the well is breaking down due to corrosion. The well might "collapse" onto itself one day..."
New Caretakers Help Launch Weeds 'n' Water Project
INSTALLING A NEW WATER TANK, near the swimming pool which is used as a water reservoir, after the new water treatment system was installed. (Photo: Sam Ervin, 2004)
After Ray Johnston and Elizabeth Arnold arrived at Meher Mount in 2002 to be caretakers, they helped lead the effort to have a water treatment system installed that is still in use today.
That project, known as Weeds ‘n’ Water, raised funds for the water treatment system and a ride-on mower.
The pool, which acts as a reservoir, was covered to reduce bio matter in the water. A remote switch to the well was installed. A multi-stage water treatment system was developed and enhanced over time which greatly improved the water inside the Visitor Center.
THE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM. The covered pool on the left acts as reservoir to hold the water pumped from the well. There are two tanks — one for untreated agricultural use and one for treated water for use in the Visitor Center. The water treatment system on the right. (Photo: Margaret Magnus, January 2022)
It wasn’t and isn’t perfect, but it helped and made life much easier than in Agnes’ day. The issue of water quality still persists. The caretakers now take five-gallon water jugs into Ojai and purchase drinking and cooking water for their personal use.