PA enacts mandatory water conservation
August 24th, 2004 - 4:13pm
(Port Angeles) -- The Port Angeles City Council has declared a Stage 4 water emergency enacting mandatory water conservation for all city residents.
The action comes as crews continue to repair a damaged 30-inch water line that nearly drained a seven-million gallon reservoir this morning.
At an emergency meeting this afternoon, the Council gave Public Works Director Glenn Cutler the authorization to go to the highest level of water emergency -- Stage 5 -- and ration water if necessary.
Cutler says the city needs the public's cooperation and he hopes they respond and come through like they have in the past.
City officials say Stage 5 could become necessary later tonight if the water level at the Mill Creek reservoir drops below the 5 foot level.
Cutler talked about the progress of the repair adjacent to the Olympic National Park headquarters on Park Avenue this afternoon.
The best estimate of the completion of the repair is by tomorrow morning with the reservoir refilling by tomorrow night.
Cutler says the city has turned the water off to the Clallam County PUD at the system interties to preserve water to the citizens of the city.
He says the PUD's connection will be restored after the city's reservoirs refill.
Fire Chief Dan McKeen says despite the water conservation emergency...there will still be enough water to fight fires if necessary.
The leak was first reported at about 3:30 this morning.
There is some street damage on Park Avenue and on Eunice Street due to the erosion caused by the torrents of water that escaped from the pipe this morning.
Cutler says the city has a contractor assisting its own water and street crews.
Park Avenue between Race and Peabody and parts of Eunice Street near the leak site are restricted to local resident traffic until the damage can be repaired.
No cost estimate on the damage is yet available.
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