The City of Boulder is urging increased water conservation by city water customers for several reasons as a result of the recent flooding.  Water customers are asked to turn off all irrigation systems.  Turf, plants and trees do not need supplemental water at this time. Run only run full loads in the clothes and dishwashers.  Don’t let taps run or flush toilets unnecessarily.

 

The city’s Betasso Water Treatment Facility is operational and continues to deliver safe drinking water to city residents.  However, due to high levels of turbidity in the Boulder Reservoir, the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Facility is not able to treat drinking water at this time and was not brought back online as the city had planned.  While the Betasso facility has the ability to deliver water to all city customers, the city does not have redundancy in water treatment with the Boulder Reservoir Water facility offline.  The city is urging water customers to use water conservatively until the Boulder Reservoir facility is operational again.  This will allow the city to conserve and extend water treatment resources at the Betasso facility.

BWT

 

 

Additionally, the city’s wastewater treatment facility is experiencing unprecedented flows and system anomalies.  A reduction in water use will help alleviate the pressure on the wastewater collection system.

 

Update on the wastewater pipeline breach

Yesterday, the city announced a breach in the main wastewater pipeline that carries 90 percent of the city’s wastewater to the treatment facility.  However, today’s assessment indicated that there was not a breach in the suspected location.  While good news, the condition of the wastewater currently arriving at the treatment facility does indicate that there are other issues throughout the collection system. City staff continues to assess and resolve these collection system deficiencies.

 

Many Boulder residents have been reporting that water or sewage is backing up into their homes.  In most cases, this is groundwater and floodwater, not untreated wastewater (sewage). Excess stormwater in the drainage system and saturated soils are causing groundwater and floodwater to back up into private residences. However, if residents see or smell solid waste, they should call the Emergency Call Center at 303-413-7730 and ask that the issue be reported to Public Works crews.  These backups could still be the result of issues on private property, but the city would like to gather the information to determine if it indicates a system failure.

 

Residents with isolated groundwater and floodwater backups may stay in their homes. However, if the water is wastewater, residents should use their own discretion to determine whether or not their homes are safe to stay in. These incidents are expected to decrease as the floodwaters recede.

 

Note about calls from Left Hand Water District
Some City of Boulder water customers received a phone call from the Left Hand Water District announcing a boil water order.  If you are a City of Boulder water customer, you do not need to boil your water.  The phone call was sent to a geographic area, but there are City of Boulder water customers in that area too and some got the call inadvertently.   Check your water bill to determine who your water provider is.  If you are in an HOA or a multifamily or rental unit and your water bill is paid by the HOA or your landlord, ask them to confirm who provides your water.

 

 

–CITY–

[includeme file=”/media/boulderfloodsponsors.txt]

Boulder water treatment plant