> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Today is 4th of July, a holiday here in
> USA, and we are _still_ under a 'boil order' on our drinking water,
> which the city says will be lifted tomorrow (Thursday) as long as 'all
> goes well' with our city water pump, etc. City had threatened to shut
> off the water everywhere on Sunday because the floods had caused some
> disturbances around the water works. They actually wound up having to
> shut down at 3 AM Monday morning until later in the day while one of
> the pumps which had gotten damaged was replaced.
[snip]
This puzzles me: you'd think they'd use the pumps to keep floodwater out
of the building that houses the pumps, no?
Bill
(Filter QRM for direct replies)
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Apparently they tried something
similar. The intake (about a million gallons per day, I am told) is
out in the Verdigris River somewhere. They apparently tried diverting
some of the 'filthy water' directly to the sewer system, but something
went wrong with that as well. About 3 AM Monday morning, the whole
thing backed up and came to a halt. The attendants on duty were
afraid that was going to happen Saturday night or Sunday morning, but
they managed to keep it working until the end, Monday morning. All
day Monday, from when a reserve pump was put in service through today,
Friday, television/radio has been bleating about a BWO, or 'Boil
Water Order'. We woke up Monday morning to _no water at all_ and
finally about 3 PM Monday afternoon it started trickling through the
pipes once again when the reserve pump had been installed and was
operational, but very slowly..
Alert to the fact that something _very bad_ was going to happen on
Sunday, the churches announced 'expect no water sometime Monday' and
began planning for it. Monday evening the Red Cross set up shop in
two local churches (Episcopal and Methodist) with large supplies of
cold, _pure_ drinking water. Red Cross has been running a shelter at
a large public building here (Wesley Center, part of the Methodist
Church) since Monday evening, with food and large conspicuous signs
on the drinking fountains saying 'DO NOT DRINK THIS WATER'. I am told
the BWO (Boil Water Order) was largely compliments of the federal
government and its insistence on pure water for everyone to drink. All
week long, television and radio have been telling us to ration and
conserve water. Anywhere I went to eat downtown since Monday night
had no water to drink with meals. Arby's and McDonald's both had large
conspicuous signs on their soda fountains marked 'Out of order, get
beverage at counter' and the beverages consisted exclusively of luke-
warm cans of soda. Finally today, Friday, July 6 at about 1:00 PM
city lifted the BWO and said okay to resume 'regular' use of water.
Cable television and radio started repeating the news, with their
funny little siren sound followed by 'This is an announcement from the
Independence Police Department' and their message that the Boil Water
Order was lifted. And our local newspaper The Independence Reporter
rushed the news into print in Friday afternoon's paper. Television has
played that announcment all afternoon, about every thirty minutes or
so.
Meals on Wheels (the one meal I can count on for sure each day)
skipped on Monday and Tuesday due to the road going to Coffeyville
being washed out; I did not expect them to come on Wednesday of
course; Thursday someone different brought a styrofoam container
including a hot dog and something else and the person said 'probably
will not come tomorrow; kitchen in Coffeyville is still under water'
(meaning Friday); 'this today is compliments of Red Cross, but we
will resume _for sure_ on Monday'. So today, Friday, I used my
motorized chair to ride over to the Methodist Church at noon and will
probably ride over there again tonight.
Where just a week ago, I went up to a house party of some friends and
midst the flooded streets, etc, had to detour several blocks out of my
way because so many local streets were full of water, today it was
much better. Red Cross said they intend to keep the overnight shelter
at the Methodist Church open 'a few more nights, until it is no longer
needed'. Everyone around town is helping out, it seems, although, IMO,
the damage was not that bad here in town. Now, Coffeyville is a
different story, as is Fredonia, Cherryvale and Neodesha, all of whom
got trounced pretty badly with flash flood waters, etc. Miami, Oklahoma
got hit pretty badly also. PAT]
Bill W1AC (bh1521q7@comcastQRM.net)