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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Backed up sewer system raises it’s UGLY head
Sep 15th
Boulder continues to address sanitary sewer system issues citywide
Boulder residents continue to report that water or sewage is backing up into their homes. In most cases, this is groundwater and floodwater, not untreated wastewater (sewage).
However, if residents see or smell solid waste:
- They should evacuate, if possible, as raw sewage represents a health and sanitation risk: and
- Report the backup to the Emergency Call Center at 303-413-7730 and ask that the issue be reported to City of Boulder 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.
The city understands resident frustration about this issue, but the sanitary sewer system is particularly challenging to address for a number of reasons:
- The city has approximately 355 miles of sanitary sewer lines (pipes) and approximately 9,200 sanitary sewer manholes;
- A large portion of this system has been impacted by floodwaters and access manholes remain under water and inaccessible;
- The collection system (pipes) continues to carry a large amount of flood water, groundwater, mud, and debris; and
- The system functions by gravity and flows downhill to the wastewater treatment plant on 75th Street east of the city.
In order to address system-wide issues, the city must focus on low-lying areas first, which will hopefully become more and more feasible as floodwaters recede. This initial action is necessary as system back-ups (downstream) affects system functionality (upstream). While property owners farther from the creek may not see crews working adjacent to their properties, efforts occurring downstream are needed to restore overall system functionality and relieve backups in their area.
The city continues to urge water conservation measures by all city water customers (residents and businesses); minimizing water use and discharges to the sanitary sewer system will help mitigate impacts to affected residents and preserve the city’s water supply.
During the next few days, the city hopes to make significant progress on restoring system functionality as weather conditions improve and floodwaters recede. Updated information will be available as the city is able to access additional low-lying areas and assess conditions.
For more information, visit www.BoulderOEM.com. To report raw sewage in your home, please call the Emergency Call Center at 303-413-7730 and ask that the issue be reported to City of Boulder Public Works crews.
–CITY–
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