Historic Flooding Has Major Fallout For Water, Wastewater Treatment Operations
After historic flooding overtook the Missouri River and Mississippi River basin, large sections of the country were inundated with water. In the aftermath, it’s clear that local water and wastewater treatment operations were not immune to the catastrophe.
In a typical illustration of the damage, a levee in Omaha, Nebraska failed and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning, advising residents to find higher ground and leaving nearby Hamburg without clean drinking water in the interim.
“The flood waters have forced the city to shutdown [its] water treatment plant,” Sandhills Express reported. “Residents are advised to conserve water and not flush toilets or shower. The city could run out of water in 24 hours.”
Meanwhile, the Glenwood Municipal Water Treatment Facility in Iowa was also shut down because of floodwaters.
“MidAmerican Energy has determined that the flood waters are an imminent threat to their electrical infrastructure as well as the treatment facility. Officials with Glenwood Municipal Utilities have requested that all water use within their service area be restricted to indoor use only,” according to 3 News Now. “Residents are recommended to cut water use by fifty percent and postpone laundry, dishwashing, refrain from watering lawns, and performing other high-volume water activities.”
At the time of this writing, it was still unclear when the Glenwood facility would be back online, and the fallout for the community has been significant.
“The water tower is being kept at 50 percent or more of its capacity, so in the event of a fire at a Glenwood Community School the emergency sprinkler system would work,” per The Daily Nonpareil. “Otherwise, no classes can be held… Students at [other] area schools are attending class but must use portable toilets.”
The Nonpareil cites Mills County Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Sheri Bowen in reporting that “at least 400 families and businesses have been displaced or impacted.”
Glenwood also instituted a boil water notice and has been accepting donations of bottled water.
“The town has been receiving donations of bottled water,” per WHO TV. “Dozens of cases of water are stored in the lobby at City Hall. Residents can stop to pick up jugs of water, and bottled water.”
And local wastewater operations have been impacted as well. As the Missouri River rose, workers at the wastewater facility in Plattsmouth, NE, had to be evacuated.
“Plattsmouth emergency crews have been shuttling workers to higher ground,” 3 News Now reported.