The city of Oakley said in a press release the building exploded around 9 a.m. April 7 and burned a subcontracted employee who was working on it.
The man was flown to the University of Utah Medical Center. His condition was not immediately known.
Oakley officials said the city’s immediate water operations were not affected because the well is not connected to the water system yet.
The structure, which brings water up from the city’s new well, was burning when South Summit Fire Protection District crews arrived.
“It is still standing, but it looks like it is a total loss, from what I can see,” South Summit Fire Marshall Jackson Coleman said. “It is too early to say what the cause of the explosion was, but that will be determined in the next few days and we will keep the area clear for the investigation.”
The city says planning commissioner Jan Manning called 911. She lives about 150 yards from the fire, heard the explosion and found the injured worker.
She says she found a “gentleman very stunned and very badly burned on his head and his hands” and remained with him until firefighters and EMS arrived a few minutes later.
“We are all taken aback by the unfortunate event that took place this morning and our deepest condolences and best wishes go out to the construction worker, his family and coworkers,” Mayor Zane Woolstenhulme said in a statement.
City officials said the well would have been completed in the next two months if not for the explosion.
The 2,000-foot-deep well exceeded expectations in early testing in late 2023. The overall project is about $5 million, and Councilmember Tom Smart says it is insured.
He added the shaft of the well itself appears undamaged.
Officials had hoped the well would more than double Oakley’s water supply. The city paused all development three years ago for lack of water but recently began approving new water system connections.
