Just learned we’ll be without water another 38 hours due to the water main failure on 42nd Street. And, right after I sent an email to the city engineering department—WOW!
Here’s the body of that email:
I previously emailed the water department before walking my dog to the park across the street from Barbara Jordan school. On the way, I checked the pressure gauge on a hydrant at Cabrillo. No pressure. So, I now understand the concern for the tax paying public(voters) our water system serves. Today is the 3rd time water service has been lost to this part of the city this past year. Can’t take a shower? Inconvenience. Can’t flush the comode? Oh well. Can’t water the grass or flowers? Shucks. But now consider the drought, heat, wind—no water for fire fighting—public safety is jeopardized.
Now the big engineering/planning question:
Why are there no isolation/control valves installed in our water system? Lack of planning? Lack of engineering? Certainly not lack of money—look at the new fire station on 87th Street. That station is being built rather than restore the one across from Barbara Jordan school to its original service.
Such contols would permit water line ruptures to be isolated, mitigating wide-spread loss of water to taxpayers. Or, is reliable fire protection water for the tax money and water/sewer fees squeazed from them each year too much to plan/engineer?
I wonder if my homeowner’s insurance company would reconsider their rating of such a poorly planned/designed/maintained water system with regard to fire fighting capability of this city?
Doug Miss
Odessa
