Tag: water crisis

Announcements Posted by: tohanley on 08/25/2009 13:14:50
Updated by: tohanley on 08/25/2009 13:15:32
Expires: 08/01/2014 00:00:00
WATER UPDATE, TUESDAY 8/25/09, 12:00 PM

The Incident Command Staff is meeting regularly and contingency plans are in place in case the situation should worsen, but until today’s water break, things were slowly and steadily improving. These contingency plans include mutual aid plans for fire suppression.

The outdoor water ban and the boil water order remain in effect. Please note that the more water the citizens of Gloucester can conserve will quicken the resolve of this situation.

Unified Command / Public Information Officer

A Unified Command system has been in place since the August 18th with representatives of the Administration, DPW, Board of Health, and Fire Department meeting as needed to evaluate the status and plan accordingly.  In response to high demand for frequent communication, we are moving forward with all channels of communication available.  To help address this issue, Deputy Fire Chief Miles Schlichte has been named as the Public Information Officer for the duration of this event.  He will be working to get current and factual information out to the public with all available local media options including blogs.  Media may contact Deputy Chief Schlichte via email at: mschlichte@ci.gloucester.ma.us.

Water Supplements

As of 9:30 p.m., August 24th, we began receiving water from Manchester. A custom made backflow preventer valve was installed to prevent any chance of our water backflowing into Manchester’s water supply. The DPW and Fire Department connected the two systems together.

Water Main Break

There was a water main break on Western Ave. on Monday, August 24th . Prompt work by the DPW crews repaired the break and water is again flowing through that pipe. The road is passable and is scheduled to be repaved on Wednesday, August 26th.

Bond Hill Water Level

Water levels in the Bond Hill storage facility rose from 7 ½ feet to 8.3 feet. Increased conservation from residents will help in raising the levels faster.

Test Results from Monday, August 24, 2009

Test results from samples taken on Sunday, August 23rd indicate continued improvement of coliform levels over the previous days, but are still not within normal levels.

Information Updates

We are still working on putting together a dedicated phone number together with a recorded message that any citizen can call for an update.  The phone number will be announced as soon as possible. The message will be updated as the situation changes. If the message does not change you can assume the situation has not changed either.

We will be updating the city website in a more timely fashion as well.  http://www.ci.gloucester.ma.us.

An update will be presented to the City Council at 7pm on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 in Kyrouz Auditorium.  Command staff from the Administration, Department of Public Works, Fire, and Health Department will be available to answer questions, and the public is invited.