 National Rural Water Association 2915 S. 13th Street Duncan, OK 73533 580-252-0629 FAX 580-255-4476 Contact: Chris Wilson, nrwacw@nrwa.org
June 3, 2009 Rural water aids flooded utilities in West
Virginia SCOTT DEPOT, W. Va. – It’d been three days since Gilbert Water Superintendant James Deel has had any relief – floods had damaged the drinking water system and the town was on a boil order. Fortunately for Deel, a team of experts from the West Virginia Rural Water Association and neighboring water systems was on its way to assist. “I received an emergency response call from Gilbert on May 11,” said Debbie Britt, Executive Director of WVRWA. “Their plant was running, but they had numerous leaks and couldn’t keep water pressure in their tanks. I initiated the ‘West Virginia Rural Water Association Emergency Response Team’ and began making phone calls to the Town of Gilbert to see what type of assistance they needed.” Heavy floods covered the area on May 9. The flooding damaged the utility’s distribution system, caused several leaks and submerged the pumps. Without pressure, the town was forced to issue a boil order. Worse, Deel was reaching exhaustion in his fight to get the water running for his 500 customers. “It was evident from their operator that he was overwhelmed, wore out, and needed help ASAP,” Britt said. A day after receiving the call, WVRWA’s emergency response team was on site. Crews brought equipment from a pair of area public service districts, including the excavators and backhoes needed to begin repairing leaks. Mike McNulty, general manager of Putnam PSD, and Darrell Wellman, general manager of Lavalette PSD, and Darrell Wellman, member of the WVRWA board of directors, led a team of 12 water experts during the recovery. “When one member of the West Virginia Rural Water Association family is in trouble, it affects all of us. We are happy to do whatever we can to help,” McNulty said. The crews installed a bypass line across a bridge and began making repairs to the distribution system. They also covered lines the flooding had exposed, reburying them to prevent further breaks. Repairs were going quickly, except the electric pumps that had sat underwater during the flood were beginning to fail. “It was making a loud noise once it was put back into service and it looked like it would be a very short time before it would quit completely,” Britt explained. “I made several calls to the Mingo County Office of Emergency Services and to the Mingo County Commission.” After a few calls, Britt obtained the money needed to replace the Gilbert backup pump before the main pump failed. Soon the town’s drinking water and fire protection systems were restored to full capacity. Also, it was a chance for Deel to take a break. A pair of technicians stayed an extra day to operate the water plant. The major relief efforts were finished in three days, but WVRWA continued to provide regular technical assistance as new problems emerged with the system. “Our circuit riders have gone back to Gilbert to provide on-site assistance and help with further leak detection,” Britt said of the associations roaming technical assistance experts. The effort was a part of the rural water association’s growing commitment to providing assistance to utilities suffering from disasters. “I am proud to say that the West Virginia Emergency Response Team was very effective in working with the towns affected by this flooding and that we were able to send resources to the areas that were effective,” Britt said. “We are continuing to grow our Emergency Response Team and are confident that we can help systems out in the case of whatever disaster occurs next.”
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