Dateline - Ormond Beach FL - Population 30K+, North of Daytona Bch.

Kids just came home from school with the word - don't drink the H20. Call to city verified the following: power went out, treatment went sideways, boil water for at least 4 days (entire city affected), call doctor if anyone gets stomach ache or the runs. Maybe some will wake up and sniff the Folgers - hope/pray it leads to more preps/reality.

-- Safer (buggedoutof@lanta.net), August 20, 1999

Answers

You mean those backup generators and contingency plans didn't keep your water supply viable? Golly gee! What a surprise. I am sure they are Y2K compliant though........

Good luck - hope things go well.

-- Kristi (securxsys@cs.com), August 20, 1999.

If you boiled water for four days it would all evaporate :)

-- B-17 (flying@fortress.com), August 20, 1999.

you folks never cease to amaze me. Maybe because I have lived in a rural community for 20+ years that I go into shock when I go more than 3 months without a boil order. Before Y2K did you folks EVER look around at the world, or did you just sit in your houses with your eyes shut?

-- wake up (get@agrip.com), August 21, 1999.

From the Daytona Beach News Journal - www.n-jcenter.com/1999/AUG/21/AREAC.htm

Aug. 21, 1999

Ormond utility customers told to boil their water Staff report

ORMOND BEACH - All of the city's utility customers were warned Friday to boil drinking water after the city's water plant lost water pressure.

The recommendation to boil drinking water will remain in effect through at least Sunday.

Utilities Manager Tim Sheahan said a blown transformer at the plant knocked out critical pumps and led to reduced water pressure.

Anytime pressure in city water mains drops below 20 pounds per square inch, there is a danger of contamination, he said. That's what happened about 10:30 a.m. Friday when the transformer blew and the pumps shut down for about 15 minutes. Water pressure in city lines is normally 55 to 60 pounds per square inch.

Jackie Carkhuff, accounting manager at the water department, said she spent her afternoon calling restaurants, assisted living facilities and grocery stores, advising them of the problem. A news release also was issued to all radio and television stations as well as newspapers.

"I feel pretty confident we didn't have any contamination," said Sheahan. However, state regulations require a boil-water warning to be issued when the pressure falls that low.

The recommendation to boil water will remain in effect for up to five days, he said, although it could be lifted as early as Sunday. Regulations require the city to test the water and get a passing grade for two consecutive days before the boil-water warning can be rescinded, he said.

In the meantime, unboiled water is safe to use for showers, washing dishes and the like, said Sheahan.

The city has backup generators to power the main water pumps in the event of a power outage. Without the transformer, however, the generators would not have prevented the problem that occurred Friday, Sheahan said. The incident pinpointed a "weak link" utilities officials never thought about, forcing a re-evaluation of emergency systems at the water plant.

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B-17, you very funny!

-- Safer (buggedoutof@lanta.net), August 21, 1999.

Malibu, California (coast suburb of Los Angeles) -- water pipe breaks, at least 24 hours no water for the whole area, bottled water trucked in, Pacific Coast Highway shut down, no traffic allowed except those with PROOF OF LOCAL RESIDENCE (tourists, guests/roommates of locals, those who have main residence or address elswhere are S.O.L., notice to boil water for at least 24 hours after service is resumed.

After Y2K, where's more pipe gonna come from?

-- A (A@AisA.com), August 21, 1999.