I am cross posting this from another forum. Thought it might be
of interest to those of you in Georgia. Maybe someone can
confirm as to it's validity.
posted November 04, 1999 01:34 AM
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My husband works for newspaper & Cobb county is one area they cover. They have reporters, as do other papers, that cover the weekly or monthly meetings the different counties have. At this last one, Cobb county said the water supply is not ready & will not be ready for y2k. Douglas & Paulding counties both get their water from Cobb county, as I said before. I'll be glad to find out if they wrote an article or blurb on it for the paper & post it.
Originally I understood husband to say it was announced to the public, which technically it was, but not really because normally these meetings are covered by small newspapers as blurbs & filler between bigger stories or ads. Understand everyone wants concrete info, so I'll ask him if they ran it, & let you know (I'll try to get names as to who announced it at the time).
Squirl, I'm in Atlanta. No, not so much upset, just want people to know wouldn't be a bad idea to stock water, if they live in those counties. At best, Cobb was playing it close and will be fine, at worst they were 100% right and there will be a lot of people out of water for who knows how long.
Just as a sidenote, I work for the phone company. Late last year (August 98) I was talking with a managment person who told me the reason the company was/is on a hiring spree for outside service techs is because we (the company) really didn't know what was going to happen with y2k. I asked him if he was serious & he said yes. At the time I was considering going outside because it would've been a pay increase for me & could work closer to home (decided against it). In department I'm in now (I talk w/the public) we have been told if anyone asks if we're compliant tell them yes & direct them to the website which is supposed to have the official statement. Right now I really don't know though, other than what the company's official statement is. Personally, I'm still inclined to go on what info I got last year. But who knows, we really might be.
I'll post more on the phones when it gets closer to end of the year - they'll start telling us more then.
-- ed (ed@lizzardranch.com), November 09, 1999
ed,
If that's true, it would explain this article in an Atlanta newspaper
from September...
http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/reports/y2k/dos.html
[snip]
[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 9.19.99]
Be prepared: A list of do's
By Marilyn Geewax
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
Washington -- Don't panic, but get prepared. While the nation's basic
infrastructure will function after Jan. 1, authorities say the Y2K
computer bug is sure to cause some problems. The power could go out
in one community, while the water system falters in another and
traffic lights malfunction in still another. Because no one can say
with certainty which systems might fail, "the basic message we are
giving people is ... be prepared for an emergency," said Red Cross
spokeswoman Leslie Credit. Start your preparations by figuring out
who is going to be in your household between Dec. 31 and mid-January,
and what each person's special needs will be. Then lay out a strategy
for making sure everyone can stay hydrated, healthy and warm for up
to two weeks. These are among the recommendations being made by
mainstream agencies:
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WATER
THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM:
Local providers typically keep water flowing by using pumps and
valves controlled by microprocessors and chips. Computers also
regulate various aspects of water treatment, such as the addition of
chlorine. In addition, Y2K-related power outages could cause a loss
of heat that would allow pipes to freeze and burst.
THE SOLUTION:
Store water for each member of the household, one gallon per person
per day. Storing water costs very little and is easy to do. Drinking
water can be drawn from the tap and stored in clean plastic jugs with
tight lids. Don't use rust-prone metal containers or heavy, breakable
glass jugs. Don't fill jugs to the limit, in case the water freezes
and expands.
Save water for bathing and flushing toilets in a large, clean
container such as a new garbage can or a water bed.
Five-gallon containers are convenient and stackable, but don't forget
that water is heavy -- 8 pounds a gallon. Filled containers must be
stored on very sturdy shelves or on the floor. Water should not be
stored where the temperature goes above 100 degrees or below 32
degrees. Keep water containers out of direct sunlight and away from
chemicals, paints and fertilizers.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING NOW:
Start saving cleaned 2-liter drink containers and their lids. Find
and clean containers that can be used for storing water for washing.
Figure out where to safely store your water, and plan on filling the
containers in November. Learn where your house's main water shutoff
valve is located and how to operate it in the event of burst pipes.
[snip]
(Other types of prep advice follow the section on water.)
-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), November 09, 1999.
---glad i got out of the metro area. My research indicates that
atlanta, and several of the outlying burbs are toast from what appears
to be "too little, too late" syndrome. the fatcats who run these places
are so much in denial--their little fiefdoms just can't go away, so y2k
can't be real! hahahahahah
---as an aside, the small farming community where I moved to is toast
as well when it comes to the county seat and their municipal water/
sewer/etc. I was in the city clerks office the day that state wide
"test" deal happened this summer. there was a fax lying on the counter,
concerning y2k. I'm reading this thing, asked the lady there_"hey,
what's up with your city y2k preparations and repairs?"---deathly
silence, then she sez it's "this other lady's" responsibility. I yelled
out "HEY, WAZZUP WITH Y2K? YOU GUYS FIX ANYTHING YET?"-this to the lady
who wouldn't come out of the back, but was obviously there. she yells
out"We're gonna LOOK at it"--I CRACKED UP! hoooo hawwwwww. "gonna look
at it" hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah this was THIS SUMMER!!
since then ran into a grunt works at the waterworks, asked him about
what happens if they got no electricity, he sez no workee, either water
in or sewer out. also, they got less than a week's worth of chemicals
for the water plant, and zero back up generators anywhere nesides
homeowners gennys! hahahahahahahahahahahaha
p.s. I got well water, pond water, and creek water. got kero and solar.
got batteries up the wazoo. also got the mindset and technology and
skills to hang on to that stuff, too.
"we don' need no steenking permits" zog
p.s. I do a lot of my research talking to grunts-don't ask the d00ds
who wear suits, they really don't have a real clue whats going on, ask
the guys who get their hands dirty. Once you start asking management,
you get a song and a dance, unless, like scary gary's deal, you can
talk at the very top. either the top or the bottom is where the real
info is, in between is cover your ass, can't jepoardize my job/pension/
whatever. cowards. no gutz, no one gets info, everyone suffers. screw
'em!
-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.