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I AM DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.
I'M HERE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON WHAT WATER NOTICED THAT WE ISSUED TODAY.
EARLIER IN THE DAY, OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPERIENCED A TREATMENT PROCESS UPSET THAT WAS ALL SHORT-TERM TURBIDITY.
SPIKE TURBIDITY IS A MEASUREMENT OF CLARITY FOR THE WATER, AND IT'S A HIGHLY REGULATED EXPERIENCE ATTRIBUTED TO SPIKE.
WE NEED TO CONSULT WITH THE REGULATORY AGENCIES TCEQ.
WE DID THAT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND ULTIMATELY, UH, ARRIVED AT A DECISION THAT WE HAD TO ISSUE A BOIL WATER NOTICE, UH, WHICH WE DID TODAY.
UH, THIS WAS A INTERNAL PROCESS, UH, AT THE PLANT.
THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY ANYTHING IN THE RIVER ITSELF.
THIS WAS INTERNAL PROCESS WATER THAT, UH, CREATED THIS A TURBIDITY SPIKE.
UH, ALL OUR OTHER SYSTEMS AT THE PLANT WERE FUNCTIONING, UH, UH, WELL THAT DAY, PARTICULARLY OUR DISINFECTION SYSTEMS. SO, UH, OUR CHLORINE SYSTEMS, UH, WE, UH, WE FEEL THIS IS A LOW RISK EVENT, BUT NONETHELESS IT IS A MANDATORY BOIL WATER NOTICE, UH, FOR THE CITY THAT, THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TODAY.
A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMENTS, UM, ARE ALL REPLANT WERE, UH, UH, GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, UH, OF, UH, CLEANING IT AND, UH, AND GETTING READY TO RESTART WHENEVER WE'RE DOWN A TREATMENT PLANT, WE ALWAYS, UH, ISSUE, UH, MANDATORY CONSERVATION.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO USE WATER WISELY AND WHEREVER THEY CAN MINIMIZE WATER USE UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS EVENT.
UH, ALSO WE'RE STANDING UP SOME, UH, BOTTLED WATER DISTRIBUTION AREAS.
UH, THERE'LL BE, UH, MANY TOMORROW, BUT, UH, WE HAVE A TWO THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TONIGHT.
UH, ONE WILL BE, UH, AT OUR GLEN BELL SERVICE CENTER LOCATED AT 3 3 9 0 7 SOUTH INDUSTRIAL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, A SERVICE CENTER DISTRIBUTION OF BOTTLED WATER NORTH AT OUR, UH, 9 0 1 WEST KANIG SORTA CENTER.
SO THOSE ARE OUR FIRST TWO BOTTLED WATER DISTRIBUTION.
WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, POTABLE WATER TRUCK THERE.
IF YOU HAVE LARGER, UH, THINGS YOU WANT TO BRING IN, FILL UP AND THEN MANY MORE DISTRIBUTIONS, UH, TOMORROW ON BOTTLED WATER.
SO AGAIN, A BOIL WATER NOTICE, UH, FOR PROBABLY ABOUT THE NEXT TWO DAYS, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH TCQ ON CLEARING THAT AND WORKING TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CONSERVE WATER AND, UH, AND ASSISTING THE COMMUNITY WITH, UH, BOTTLED WATER DISTRIBUTION, UH, DURING THIS EVENT.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT CONCLUDES MY STATEMENTS.
YOU TOOK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE INTERNAL TREATMENT PROCESS FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW AT OUR PLANTS? WE HAVE THREE PLANTS ARE OUR ORIC PLANT IS OUR LARGEST PLANT.
AND, UH, WHEN WE TAKE RAW WATER OUT OF THE RIVER AND WE TURN IT INTO A DRINKING WATER QUALITY WATER, THAT'S A TREATMENT PROCESS.
IT GOES THROUGH SEVERAL STEPS OF ADDING CHEMICALS TO SETTLE OUT, UH, DIFFERENT PARTS OF, UH, OF THE WATER.
UH, ONE OF THE PROCESSES IS A, IS CLARIFICATION, UH, OUR, UH, TREATMENT BASINS.
AND WE HAD A, A TREATMENT UPSET EVENT THERE THAT LED TO A TURBIDITY SPIKE.
WE'RE STILL EVALUATING WHAT CAUSED THAT.
UH, AGAIN, THIS WASN'T FROM THE RIVER WATER ITSELF, THOUGH.
THIS WAS SOME KIND OF OPERATIONAL UPSET THAT WE'RE, UH, WE'RE GONNA WORK TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED.
THIS DID NOT HAVE TO DO WITH THE WINTER STORM.
AND ACTUALLY WE'RE FEELING PRETTY SALVATORE THAT EVERYTHING WENT WELL.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN TODAY WE HAD THIS EVENT, SO JUST KIND OF COINCIDENTAL THAT THE TWO ARRIVED AT NEAR EACH OTHER, BUT NOTHING SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS RELATED TO THE WINTER STORM.
I DON'T WANT A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK.
WE DID A STORY WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT TO DO ALL OF OUR TREATMENT THAT YOU WERE PUTTING INTO THE PLAN.
CAN YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO HOW THAT'S GOING, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN OPERATIONAL POLYMER SYSTEM THAT WAS DESIGNED TO TREAT A HIGH TURBIDITY IN THE RIVER, BUT THIS WAS NOT A RIVER OF ANT.
THIS WAS AN INTERNAL PROCESS EVENT.
SO REALLY DID NOT INVOLVE THE POLYMER SYSTEM AT ALL.
WELL, THOSE WHO MAY HAVE LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, WATER PICTURES IN THE FRIDGE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY MAY HAVE PULLED OUT THE TAP PREVIOUSLY.
AT WHAT POINT WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE WATER WOULD BE QUESTIONABLE OR NOT? WELL, UH, REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY, UH, IF THEY HAVE WATER THAT WAS DRAWN AND THEY WANT TO POUR IT OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WAIT TILL THIS BLOW WATER ORDER, UH, CLEARS, UH, REALLY, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THAT AGAIN.
WE HAVE NO INDICATION THAT THERE'S A CONTAMINATION.
THIS WAS A VERY SHORT TERM EVENT, UH, INTERNAL PROCESS WATER,
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VERY LOW RISK, BUT REGULATIONS OUR REGULATIONS.AND WE HAVE TO DO THIS LITTLE WATER NOTICE AND, AND REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO TREAT IT SERIOUSLY, UH, THAT THAT'S WHY THE REGS ARE THERE AND, UH, AND TAKE THE APPROPRIATE STEPS.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, YOU CAN SEND THEM TO OUR OFFICE AND WE'LL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE RESPONSES.