This puzzles me: you'd think they'd use the pumps to keep floodwater out of the building that houses the pumps, no?
Bill
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[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Apparently they tried something similar. The intake (about a million gallons per day, I am told) is out in the Verdigris River somewhere. They apparently tried diverting some of the 'filthy water' directly to the sewer system, but something went wrong with that as well. About 3 AM Monday morning, the whole thing backed up and came to a halt. The attendants on duty were afraid that was going to happen Saturday night or Sunday morning, but they managed to keep it working until the end, Monday morning. All day Monday, from when a reserve pump was put in service through today, Friday, television/radio has been bleating about a BWO, or 'Boil Water Order'. We woke up Monday morning to _no water at all_ and finally about 3 PM Monday afternoon it started trickling through the pipes once again when the reserve pump had been installed and was operational, but very slowly..Alert to the fact that something _very bad_ was going to happen on Sunday, the churches announced 'expect no water sometime Monday' and began planning for it. Monday evening the Red Cross set up shop in two local churches (Episcopal and Methodist) with large supplies of cold, _pure_ drinking water. Red Cross has been running a shelter at a large public building here (Wesley Center, part of the Methodist Church) since Monday evening, with food and large conspicuous signs on the drinking fountains saying 'DO NOT DRINK THIS WATER'. I am told the BWO (Boil Water Order) was largely compliments of the federal government and its insistence on pure water for everyone to drink. All week long, television and radio have been telling us to ration and conserve water. Anywhere I went to eat downtown since Monday night had no water to drink with meals. Arby's and McDonald's both had large conspicuous signs on their soda fountains marked 'Out of order, get beverage at counter' and the beverages consisted exclusively of luke- warm cans of soda. Finally today, Friday, July 6 at about 1:00 PM city lifted the BWO and said okay to resume 'regular' use of water. Cable television and radio started repeating the news, with their funny little siren sound followed by 'This is an announcement from the Independence Police Department' and their message that the Boil Water Order was lifted. And our local newspaper The Independence Reporter rushed the news into print in Friday afternoon's paper. Television has played that announcment all afternoon, about every thirty minutes or so.
Meals on Wheels (the one meal I can count on for sure each day) skipped on Monday and Tuesday due to the road going to Coffeyville being washed out; I did not expect them to come on Wednesday of course; Thursday someone different brought a styrofoam container including a hot dog and something else and the person said 'probably will not come tomorrow; kitchen in Coffeyville is still under water' (meaning Friday); 'this today is compliments of Red Cross, but we will resume _for sure_ on Monday'. So today, Friday, I used my motorized chair to ride over to the Methodist Church at noon and will probably ride over there again tonight.
Where just a week ago, I went up to a house party of some friends and midst the flooded streets, etc, had to detour several blocks out of my way because so many local streets were full of water, today it was much better. Red Cross said they intend to keep the overnight shelter at the Methodist Church open 'a few more nights, until it is no longer needed'. Everyone around town is helping out, it seems, although, IMO, the damage was not that bad here in town. Now, Coffeyville is a different story, as is Fredonia, Cherryvale and Neodesha, all of whom got trounced pretty badly with flash flood waters, etc. Miami, Oklahoma got hit pretty badly also. PAT]