Following the Jan. 19 water line break and subsequent three-day Boil Water Advisory, the City of Hood River has committed to improving interagency communication and citywide infrastructure.
“We know this was unnerving for the community,” said Acting Public Works Director Wade Seaborn. “There was never an indication of bacteria in the line; however, the Boil Water Advisory was issued with the utmost caution and concern.”
The Boil Water Advisory — a public health warning to boil water for one minute before consuming — was first issued around 10 a.m. Monday morning, following a leak in the city’s water main at approximately 6 p.m. Sunday evening.
The break itself happened in River Daze’s parking lot on Third Street, where a sink hole has also formed.
“Our first priority was to stabilize the site so that it would be safe for crews to begin the assessment,” said Seaborn. “We may not ever know the precise reason for the break, but we should have more information about the extent of the fix needed to harden the infrastructure in that location.”
Water service was restored at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, but the City of Hood River waited until Monday morning to issue the Advisory because, said City Manager Rachael Fuller, the city needed time to assess the situation and determine the extent of the damage before issuing an official advisory.
Oregon law dictates that water regulators must notify customers of a Boil Water Advisory within 24-hours of the incident, after assessing whether the advisory is necessary.
The city confirmed that there was no evidence of harmful bacteria in the water system around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, but as a precaution, kept the advisory in effect until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, when they received water sample results that confirmed the water was safe to drink.
“There was no indication that external water or debris entered the city’s water system at any point.” said the City of Hood River in a press release. “However, any service disruption is handled with an abundance of caution which is why a precautionary Boil Water Advisory was issued for the affected area.”
The City of Hood River identified a primary section affected by the water leak — downtown Hood River from Sherman to Columbia, east of Ninth Street — but applied the advisory city-wide as a precaution; Hood River County Environmental Health officially requested that all food establishments remain closed for the duration of the Boil Water Advisory.
Many restaurants closed their doors, and some business owners expressed frustration over receiving mixed messages from the city and the county. Some residents also expressed confusion over whether or not the Boil Water Advisory applied to them if they were outside of the area that the city identified.
“City officials recognize that the incident exposed weaknesses in communication systems and protocols. Specifically, contradictory messages between the City Water Department and County Health Department caused unnecessary confusion,” said a City of Hood River press release. “The city has initiated a review of emergency procedures that includes improved coordination between overlapping agencies to ensure all local governments are speaking with one voice in any future incidents.”
Community members can opt-in to city communications by signing up for the “Stay Connected” email communications and for citizen alerts via the Everbridge.net system. Both links can be found at the foot of the website homepage, cityofhoodriver.gov.
According to Fuller, the incident highlighted infrastructure issues within the city.
“Hood River has made several significant utility infrastructure investments over the last 10 years, such as replacing the city’s primary waterline and refurbishing its largest reservoir. The city council’s latest workplan shifts focus to the smaller scale infrastructure within the city. This most recent incident emphasizes why this is so critical,” said Fuller.
“While the exact cause of the break is still unknown, Hood River’s hillside geography creates particularly high-water pressures that must be dissipated with pressure reducing valves distributed throughout the water system,” said the press release. “All else held equal, high water pressures place lines at a higher risk of breakage.”
The city asks that questions about the water system be addressed to the City’s Utility Billing Clerk at 541-387-5216 during normal business hours.
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