Apr 23: Ground Water, High River Stage Issued Adressed
SW Residents Still Advised To Plug Drains In Area Of Conern Wed Evening KCSi-T.V. News
Update Wed Evening...Jamestown Public Works is informing residents that the street closed Wed night (Apr 22nd), 2nd St SW from 4th Ave to 5th Ave – has been reopened to single lane traffic
Jamestown, ND (KCSi-T.V. News) -- Residents of a section of Southwest Jamestown, west of the James River, south of the railroad tracks and north of Pipestem Creek are still advised to plug sewer drains, until further notice. City engineers have a temporary fix in the area where it was discovered Wednesday evening that ground water had infiltrated the sewer pipes and caused the lift station to run almost 24 hours to keep up with the inflows. He said an increase in ground pressure caused a minor collapse in the pipe, isolated to and alley road. (more story below video)
City Engineer Reed Schwartzkopf says temporarily the waste water at the lift station is being pumped into a tanker, and being transported by National Guard soliders to the sewage treatment lagoon. Engineers are looking at a permanant solution that may involve pumping the waste water from that lift station to another location, where it can move to the lagoon. Earlier Wednesday evening ground water seepage caused water to enter about 6-10 basements in the 900-block of 2nd Avenue Northwest, where Guard troops were called in to help, along with an area around the 7th Street Northwest Loop, where the ramped up release from the Jamestown Dam at 2,000 cfs caused a levee to be over-topped, because of a higher stage than anticipated. Again, Guard troops and city workers built the levee higher.
Tim Temeyer of the Army Corps of Engineers said, rather than build levees higher, the Corps has ramped down the Jamestown Dam releas to 1,800 cfs, and will go no higher, at this point. Also Wedndesday the Pipestem Dam Release was increased to 1,200 cfs for a combined release of 3,000 cfs as of Wednesday afternoon. The Jamestown Dam level as of 2-p.m. Wednesday was 1,453.4 feet with the peak level forecasted at 1,454-1,455 feet. The wave action on Jamestown Reservoir is being monitored in conjunction with spilling. An addtional stream gage is being installed below the dam to measure releases and spill flows when it ocurrs.
A call for volunteers to throw sandbags Wednesday was for an area at around 2nd Avenue Northeast as a levee was constructed higher.
National Guard General David Spryncanatyk told the Interagency meeting that 300 soldiers and airmen are on duty in Jamestown.
With Stutsman County Road, Highway Superintendent Mike Zimmerman said washed out roads continue to be filled with gravel, and FEMA assistance for reebursements is being applied for. FEMA is also looking at getting a Jamestown Disaster Assistance office in operation.
The Stutsman County Commission will hold a joint meeting with Township Officers on Monday April 27th at 7-p.m. at the Civic Center Exchequor Room for guidance on various issues of concern.
For the latest information on line, visit Jamestown USA dot com, and on CSi Cable Channels 10, 67, and 43.
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