water works workers

[Garage5.9]

any one here work for the department of water ? If you didn't already hear about the tsunami in japan and the eminent tsunami heading towards hawaii well now you know. But getting back to my question , they just turned off the water in my neighbor hood. The tank is on the highest point of where i live well out of the range of the possible waves. so i was wondering why turn off the water now ? I was thinking so that no extra load would be put on the sewer system and plant witch is right next to the ocean. also how the hell did they turn it off so fast ? i figure it would take some work to turn off a entire community. Is it remotely controlled possibly ?

 

[koditten]

If the water system get breached/compremised near the shore, the tank will drain out the broken pipes. It only takes a couple of valves near the water tank to isolate the tank. They only shut it off to prevent the whole system from draining. In natural disasters, water is the most important item. Hopefully nothing real bad happens.

Keep us posted on the results.

 

[Garage5.9]

Will do were expecting the waves to be here at 3:07am

 

[NUTTSGT]

Not a water works but a firefighter. The water mains can be breached quite easily. A simple cold winter can rupture water lines. I'm sure what they are doing is nothing more than SOP. Once everything is good, they will open the valves turn the pump back on.

Fill up some jugs for drinking and fill the bath tub, use that for flushing the toilet.

 

[oldwino]

The NUMBER ONE purpose of a water distribution system is for fire protection. Residential water is just a convenient by-product. If a system fails and loses pressure, any contaminants will flow back in to the line (contents of a near-by sewer line that also failed for example). Most large water systems operate on a SCADA system with motor operated valves. System can be shut down from a central office.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

They are worried about contamination.

 

[54FordPanel]

The NUMBER ONE purpose of a water distribution system is for fire protection. Residential water is just a convenient by-product. If a system fails and loses pressure, any contaminants will flow back in to the line (contents of a near-by sewer line that also failed for example). Most large water systems operate on a SCADA system with motor operated valves. System can be shut down from a central office.

Sigh.

The number one purpose of a water distribution system is not fire protection; it is for water use by residents.
Now, fire protection may get priority in an emergency, but the system does not exist for fire protection, and residents don't get water as a convenient by-product of the fire protection system.

That's like saying the roads are put in place for ambulances and fire trucks, and people are able to drive on them also as a convenient by-product.

 

[Joe B.]

Yeah, water distribution systems are in place so I can put fresh water in my hot tub on a regular basis.

 

[nmanitou]

Sigh.

The number one purpose of a water distribution system is not fire protection; it is for water use by residents.
Now, fire protection may get priority in an emergency, but the system does not exist for fire protection, and residents don't get water as a convenient by-product of the fire protection system.

That's like saying the roads are put in place for ambulances and fire trucks, and people are able to drive on them also as a convenient by-product.

Amen brother.

 

[BBQ&Love]

Sigh.

The number one purpose of a water distribution system is not fire protection; it is for water use by residents.
Now, fire protection may get priority in an emergency, but the system does not exist for fire protection, and residents don't get water as a convenient by-product of the fire protection system.

That's like saying the roads are put in place for ambulances and fire trucks, and people are able to drive on them also as a convenient by-product.

You are correct. While I am not a water works employee, in a past life I spent a fair amount of time working alongside them. Like has been mentioned, one of the biggest reasons they shut it down is fear of contamination. Good water works departments/companies take protecting the water supply from contamination very, very seriously.

 

[IDASHO]

Sigh.

The number one purpose of a water distribution system is not fire protection; it is for water use by residents.
Now, fire protection may get priority in an emergency, but the system does not exist for fire protection, and residents don't get water as a convenient by-product of the fire protection system.

That's like saying the roads are put in place for ambulances and fire trucks, and people are able to drive on them also as a convenient by-product.

Well, he does live in CA.

With the way things have been going lately, I really wouldnt be surprised if the #1 purpose for the water system is fire protection.


Afterall, San Fran is now home to "meat-free mondays"

 

[lrainh2o]

Hey All, I am in water works and the number 1 reason for a water system is to supply safe potable water to the consumer. Fire protection just comes along with that.

Your water department most likely shut off the water as a precaution to keep the storage reservoir from draining just in case of multiple water mains being broken at one time. Its hard to tell because I dont know the system as every system is different, but the water reservior will have a valve at the base of the tank usually in a vault that is operated with a valve key or remote operated on a SCADA system via electronic valving, either way this wouldn't take much time. The thing with leaving the tank full would allow people to go up and gather bottled water out of it for drinking purposes in the case of catastrophic distribution system problems, and yes most tanks have a tap on the side of them for sampling. It also gives them some water to flush and clean main lines as they put them back into service, although most likely the water would have to be boiled before use until the repaired mains could be super chlorinated, and tested for contaminants then the boil notice could be lifted.

There is some problems that can arise with just shutting the water off at the tank as well though. If the people lower in the system still use a little water the people higher in the system will be getting there houses drained unless every one has a backflow prevention device installed, the main line would be drained as well causing cross contamination to it with ground water or other contaminants.

I want to add that every situation is different, and I sit back with a few questions of my own, I wasn't there so I dont want to second guess the choices made. As a water worker I am sure they followed the SOP set up for the system which is generally written to do the best thing for the system and the people.

 

[carcruse]

Hey All, I am in water works and the number 1 reason for a water system is to supply safe potable water to the consumer. Fire protection just comes along with that.

Your water department most likely shut off the water as a precaution to keep the storage reservoir from draining just in case of multiple water mains being broken at one time. Its hard to tell because I dont know the system as every system is different, but the water reservior will have a valve at the base of the tank usually in a vault that is operated with a valve key or remote operated on a SCADA system via electronic valving, either way this wouldn't take much time. The thing with leaving the tank full would allow people to go up and gather bottled water out of it for drinking purposes in the case of catastrophic distribution system problems, and yes most tanks have a tap on the side of them for sampling. It also gives them some water to flush and clean main lines as they put them back into service, although most likely the water would have to be boiled before use until the repaired mains could be super chlorinated, and tested for contaminants then the boil notice could be lifted.

There is some problems that can arise with just shutting the water off at the tank as well though. If the people lower in the system still use a little water the people higher in the system will be getting there houses drained unless every one has a backflow prevention device installed, the main line would be drained as well causing cross contamination to it with ground water or other contaminants.

I want to add that every situation is different, and I sit back with a few questions of my own, I wasn't there so I dont want to second guess the choices made. As a water worker I am sure they followed the SOP set up for the system which is generally written to do the best thing for the system and the people.

x2. I'm retired now but was formerly head of a Water Department.

 

[wssix99]

From an engineering perspective, (and I'm sure the Water Department folks will confirm) its probably better to say that water delivery systems are "designed" to support fire protection. A fire has a greater demand on the system than a block of houses. You can always get water from a well, but you can't put out a fire with one.

From a business perspective, the water department serves the fresh water consumer - because they pay the bills. The fire department does not. Money talks...


For the OP - Your first assumption is probably correct. The high head water tank in your neighborhood is your local only reservoir of fresh water for drinking and maybe firefighting. In the event that a tsunami inundated the water filtration or purification plant near the shore, the water in that tank would be rationed by the water department - otherwise they would run out of supply very quickly and have a worse situation on their hands. (In an extreme circumstance, they could keep it locked off and truck water from it to other parts of their service area and not just your neighborhood.)

I would also expect that the fire department in your area would have a hot line to the water department to restore pressure in the event of a major fire. Otherwise they would fight smaller fires with the supply on their tanker trucks and refill directly at the water tank.

NUTTSGT's advice is what you should follow. Fill jugs and the bathtubs in case water is rationed. In a rationing situation, the fire department will get first dibs on what's in the water tanks until bottled water supplies are at a dangerous level - particularly if you live in a dry area. (FEMA stockpiles water for emergencies like this.) You can drink water from a bottle but you can't put fires out with them.


Someday... as the need to conserve and recycle water increases, many of our municipalities will only be using the water pipes for fire fighting and most of us will be drinking water like space station astronauts do: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-menu-item-on-space-st