Boulder County
News from Boulder provided by county information services, county commissioners and more
Flood debris removal off to a slow start
Sep 17th
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013
303-413-7730 (Public Call Center)
Update on flood debris community collection sites
Huge demand for flood debris disposal has strained initial city and county collection efforts. Flooding, closures, and delays at the Erie landfill have added to the problem.
Waste disposal crews are working almost around the clock to empty and return roll-off containers at the 21 collection sites. The City of Boulder’s noise ordinance has been waived for early morning collections. Additional crews will be deployed starting Tuesday to clear debris that has accumulated at some of the community sites. Volunteer crews are expected to begin assisting with this effort by mid-morning.
The city and county are working on adding additional debris collection services to meet demand, and damage assessment teams are beginning the process to assess the extent of debris collection needs. Residents are asked to be patient during this extraordinary time.
Residents are reminded that the community trash receptacles are to be used for safe removal of spoiled food, damaged carpet, household materials and other flood-related debris. Residents are asked to not put electronics, household hazardous waste, appliances containing Freon and power equipment containing gasoline into the receptacles.
Details about what cannot be placed in community trash receptacles, visit www.BoulderCountyFlood.org.
More information on recycling and other waste diversion opportunities can be found at:
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Food replacement available to those receiving assistance
Sep 17th
Federal program allows replacement of food lost due to flooding
Boulder County, Colo. – The federal program that provides food assistance to those who qualify for it will replace food lost due to the recent flooding in Boulder County. The replacement funds are available to those who are currently receiving food assistance, and covers food purchased using September Food Assistance benefits.
The recent severe flooding has cut off many Boulder County residents’ access to their food supplies, and in some cases has led to the spoilage or destruction of food. Those who purchased some of their food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the month of September and have now lost some of it due to the flooding may fill out an affidavit requesting replacement of the funds.
“It’s difficult enough to get the food and other help you need during a disaster like this,” said Larraine Archuleta, director of the Community Support Division of the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services (BCDHHS). “We want to be sure those who qualify for these replacement benefits have every opportunity to receive them.”
The value of the food assistance replacement will be based on the purchases made in September through the SNAP program.
Residents who feel they may qualify for the replacement food assistance should contact BCDHHS’ Community Support Manager Lynn Grey at lgrey@bouldercounty.org or 303-441-1000. Those seeking the replacement will need to sign an affidavit, which can be done via email, mail, or in person at one of the BCDHHS locations in Boulder or Longmont once they have been contact by Lynn Grey.
Emergency Operations Center Public Information line: 303-413-7730
Emergency Operations Center Media Line: 720-564-2935 (Media/PIOs Only – Not for Public Dissemination)
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Update: City of Boulder water is good; Left Hand water not so much
Sep 14th
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.
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.
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