May 21 Fluctuations Less, BUT, Main Lift Seeing High Use
Continue To Conserve with Odd Even Use Plan KCSi-T.V. News
Jamestown, ND (KCSi-T.V. News) -- Jamestown City Engineer Reed Schwartzkopf told members of the Interagency meeting, Wednesday, (May 20th,) that the odd even Voluntary Sanitary Sewer Usage Plan, is helping to keep fluctuations in use of the system less. With that said, he added that the main lift station earlier this week saw usage up to 10-million gallons a day, up from 6-7 million gallons per day, from last week. He said river water infiltration continues to add to the system. The main pumps are being switched in rotation manually, as the heavy flows are preventing automatic switching. 4 lift stations are still being pumped into the river. The lagoon is still be discharged into the river to keep the capacity down.
......MORE STORY BELOW VIDEO......
Schwartzkopf said the lift station near the northwest tennis courts incurred a spike in usage, and the previously placed gravity feed line was put to use, to move the excess water. He asks residents to continue conserving water and using the odd even sewer usage plan, according to the calendar date, and the house or business address.
In addition, on the water supply side two water wells are having problems, one is not operating due to flooding issues, and one is working intermittently. He added that the 4 remaining wells are functioning normally and there is no problem with water supplies.
On a side note, he says a fire at the sanitary landfill on Tuesday was put out by city crews using dirt and mud, and no recurrance was noted on Wednesday.
The National Guard reported that next week the levee patrol and Quick Recovery Force will combine, reducing the number of Guard personnel from 82 to 52, and overall numbers decreasing from 104 to 74. The response time of the Blackhawk helicopter, now based in Bismarck, on May 29th, will increase from 35 minutes to up to 4 hours.
City, County and Corps officials met with the St. Paul District Corps in Fargo Wednesday to learn about the process of dike removal on-going in Fargo. A similar process will be used in Jamestown late this summer. Schwartzkopf says, when the time comes, every levee, earthern and sandbag will be systematically removed in Jamestown.
The Corps of Engineers reaffirmed the news release on the reduction in releases from Jamestown and Pipestem dams, over the next several weeks. (see link under River Watch). Tim Temeyer said the plan to reduce releases from Pipestem Dam by 100 cfs every other day may not exactly follow that pattern, adding, the reduction rate will be less than 100 cfs increments as the river level lowers to reduce the chance of bank sloughing, and bank material falling into the river. Schwartzkopf added that the sanitary sewer pipes will be watched for unknown damages, along with the effects of the lowering of the river level over the next several weeks. Temeyer says the Corps is "happy" with the evacuation rates of Pipestem and Jamestown Reservoirs. On Wednesday Jamestown Reservoir was at 80-percent of flood storage capacity and Pipstem Reservoir was at 51 percent.
With roads, Stutsman County Administrator Noel Johnson said the Cleveland area has many roads water-covered, and is preventing usage, and ag-related activity from starting.
Beth Dewald of the Red Cross said, the Stutsman County Disaster Unmet Needs Committee is working on client cases, with applications being taken at United Methodist Church and the Red Cross office.
The Anne Carlsen Center reported that consideration will be given to students and staff returning to the Northwest Jamestown campus, after the decrease in reservoir releases, and concerns are addressed about sanitary sewer water infiltration issues. The Human Service Center will also remain at temporary offices, in the former Job Service location until, the levees are removed from the street and parking lot.
FEMA reported, in Stutsman County, 469 applications for assistance have been filed, with 399 individuals visiting the DRC at the Buffalo Mall.
Updated information is available on line at Jamestown USA dot com, under River Watch, and on CSi Cable Channels 10 and 67. Back to Local Headlines
