Massive ice storm knocks out water supplies in some places
February 2, 2009

The massive ice storm that worked its way across much of the country -- especially just south and east of our area -- also managed to knock out water supplies in many places, since electricity is used to drive most water-treatment pumping systems. This incident echoes similar problems that occurred with other ice storms in December 2008, March 2007, and February 2007. Individual ice storms may be unpredictable, but it's highly probable that they will occur often enough -- and with sufficient severity -- that water and wastewater treatment systems should consider the value of lift stations and booster stations with engine backup systems and portable automatic pumping stations. Natural disasters like floods and ice storms put a heavy strain on public-works crews as it is, and these automatic systems allow essential services like water and sewer to continue operating without diverting away precious staffing resources.

February 2009
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last revised February 2009