OK, need some input here. I was recently given a copy of the Personal Preparedness brochure that is being distributed to all military personnel. Most of it is the traditional 3-5 day song and dance, along with reasurances that all will be fixed quickly.

The one thing that caught my eye was in the section regarding water. It states, and I quote:

"Be prepared for shortages beginning December 1st".

Why would this be? Wouldn't disruptions be related to power loss or embedded chip failure? Really would like some feedback.

Thanks,

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), November 17, 1999

Answers

To the top, hoping for a reassuring answer...

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), November 17, 1999.

The military also has to take into account possible acts of terrorism. They can't have the personnel rolling around on the floor dying of dehydration due to a sudden and unexpected shut down of contaminated water, don't you think?

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 17, 1999.

BE PREPARED FOR SHORTAGES, STARTING ON DECEMBER 1, 1999!

THAT IS ABOUT AS CLEAR AS CAN BE!

-- Living in (the@real.world), November 17, 1999.

Is this water shortage warning pertaining to a specific geographical area?

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), November 17, 1999.

Makes no sense.......there is no technical, logical, physical, functional, or logistical reason in any part of the water processing or distribution systems to have included this warning......

Ignore it.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 17, 1999.

No, it wasn't geographically specific.

Robert, thanks for your input. I consider you to be the "ultimate voice of reason".

It occurs to me that they may be referring to shortages of bottled water in stores starting 12/1. Thinking on filling up my water bag a little early, though.

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), November 17, 1999.

I don;t knwo the format or context of the advisory .... but could it be as simple as advising to have H2O prpearations completeed by that date? I.e., don't push the envelope, or your luck, in scheduling a well-driller, etc? Just a thought.

-- SH (Squirrl@huntr.com), November 17, 1999.

--it makes perfect sense IF you subscribe to the theory-as I do, of course-that certain rogue elements domestically and internationally have planned to take advantage of the pre, during, and after rollover period to institute their version of the "final solution". for me, too much smoke, sounds like a firestorm to me.... zog

-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), November 17, 1999.

Maybe it was a typo. Dec. 31.

-- (normally@ease.notnow), November 17, 1999.

I don't think it was a typo.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), November 17, 1999.

okay - let's look at a few factors:

IF 12/31 were the warning date, it would make a certain amount of sense: most water systems have reseerve capacity (if no major fire figthing going on, nor any "big" water main breaks) to hold pressure in the system for 24-42 hours with no power.

IF power can be restored to the pumping stations, treatment plants, AND the control systems before the surface tanks go dry, then water main pressure can be maintained, and the system piping will likely stay clean and drinkable.

If the water main pressure is lost for any reason, or if untreated/incorrectly treated water gets into the system at any point, THEN the system must be flushed and re-sampled until the "remotest" point" from the loss is sampled clean. (Until then, even if pressure is restored, a "boil water" notice goes into place, and yuo'd have to boil water to get potable water at your house, store, resturant, or food procesing plant.)

Obviously, if water pressure is again lost, the whole process starts again. If the surface tanks go dry, you need power "up" long enough to refill the tanks 10-20 hours? of very low other usage to the water mains - IF potable water is available to the pumps from the water treatment centers.

IF water pressure is lost in the water mains, ground water leaks back into the system and polutes the water.

IF water treatment plants fail, lose power, or lose "control" of their processes, or IF upstream sewage treatmetn plants fail - for any reason, you'd be likely to lose the supply of the potable water - even IF pressure can be maintained.

There is NO "grid" of water supply systems - you married to ne you got, and nobody (except trucks) can cross-connect to oterh national systems. Sometimes local systems can connect, but not over a big enough pipe to maintain the whole supply in the second system.

---

Okay - so the system is vunerable; we've agreed to that for a while.

IF everybody in the US tried to fill 55 gallon drums to night of 12/31 - there would be little effect: it's like filling a bathtub - no real effect on the national water systems.

Furtehr, obviously, no everybody (2- 5 %) would fill even one barrel per person per household.

So, the system couldn't runout on even 12/31....what might happen?

---

If millions tried to "stock up on water" by buying bottled water at the grocery store: the store would run out quickly. THIS is likely. (Particularly since yuppies will insist on trying to store Evian and fancy bottled water, rather thatn refill tap water into plain plastic containers.)

Water bottles (5-15 gallon jugs) already filled with plain water will likely runout as soon as people realize that "bottled water" is running out. THIS is likely.

Supplies of drums or clean containers are likely to run out at at camping stores, discount stores, or y2k-stores, or at surplus stores, etc. that now have barrels and camping supplies.

Storage

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 17, 1999.

robert, where in marietta are you? i'm in east cobb. what have you heard about cobb counties water system? most i've read is positive (go figure), but, so a post here a week ago claiming cobb was toast. they did not give site/or paper link. i've been storing water anyway.

one scenario where water could be short in december is people such as me waiting till then to fill containers. i started doing it this week with that in mind.

-- theletterz (theletterz@yahoo.com), November 17, 1999.

Cobb has fully remediated, tested, audited (internally - but at least audited), tested, and re-installed all county and city (Marietta) processes. (Best we can tell, when they declared themselves compliant in Sept 1998, they were the first governments (nationally) to do so.)

Cobb has got contingency plans in place, and have rehearsed their planning. Started in early 1995, and have coordinated remediation and testing with City of Marietta/Smyrna/Powder Springs, etc. Kennesaw too.

Fire Dept head says they've 48 hours storage of water under normal use, if problems occur, can stretch it until 72-80 hours. Only problem would be power - Ogalthorpe gives power to Marietta Power Company, and to Cobb EMC.

City claims Ogalthorpe has told them they (Ogalthorpe) are compliant. Cobb EMC has said the same thing. Cobb EMC is compliant (tested and implemented), and has contingency plans in place and rehearsed.

Don't have any other info from Ogalthorpe other than that.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 17, 1999.

robert, thanks for the info. checked out your website. i would say you are VERY qualified in your assesments. first warm and fuzzy i've had about any y2k stuff in a while.....will still keep water stocked though.

your neighbor,

z

-- theletterz (theletterz@yahoo.com), November 17, 1999.

Could shortages be caused by:

1. Testing at the water/sewage treatment co. that turns up glitches? If utilities are running late those tests could come the last few weeks of the year. Also, awareness of glitches in other places - esp. if they lead to contaminated water in some city - could spark a run on bottled water far from the occurance.

2. Same at electric utlilities, which could affect the water co.

3. Winter storms which can cause a run on bottled water. And Pre-Y2K the demand may outstrip the bottlers ability to keep up.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), November 17, 1999.

No one has mentioned "look aheads" to Jan.1st 2000 in accounting, billing, etc. that could malfunction. This , connected to the main computers indirectly (?) might cause a shutdown . I'm obviously not a geek , and do not have the right phraseology , but I think you can understand what I'm driving at/through (?) with this line of reasoning. Eagle

-- Hal Walker (e999eagle@freewwweb.com), November 17, 1999.

Roland,

There may be things that the military knows that we don't. In fact I certainly hope they are working on better, more solid info than I am. After all I'm just a concerned citizen and they are the defenders of our nation.

If the military personal preparedness book says expect water shortages as of Dec. 1st then expect water shortages as of Dec. 1st. There is no reason in the world not to believe them and every reason in the world to heed their advice. If they are wrong it will have cost you VERY little. If they are right then that bit of info may save your life.

Thanks for the heads up.

Water is life.

-- River Soma (riversoma@aol.com), November 17, 1999.

Sure glad we got those three springs developed...

-- Patrick (pmchenry@gradall.com), November 17, 1999.

Humm.

I wonder?

THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION'S
THIRD MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE

Seattle, Washington, United States of America

30 November - 3 December 1999

http:// www.wto.org/wto/minist/seatmin.htm

Could become a "hot" spot... with ripples.

More water.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 18, 1999.

In SW Ohio we have very hard water so for many years we have been getting the 5 gallon bottles delivered for work and home.

On Oct 15, we got a Y2K statement from Aqua Pure Water Co recommending that we place "our Y2K orders by 10/31/1999 so the company could meet demand".

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), November 18, 1999.

I, too, am in east Cobb. I have been in contact with Rick Brun at the Cobb County Water System, and actually got alot of good info. Actually made me belive they will be able to deliver water. They have redundant electric providers as well...GA Power and Cobb EMC.

(I'm glad I don't have Cobb EMC as my provider. As a non-power producer, they must purchase electricity off the grid. They may have problems doing that in January)

Anyway, most of CCWS' delivery systems are "gravity based" which is no doubt a help. Rick did say that the only thing which would prevent CCWS from delivering is the loss of electricity. Oh, and BTW, he tried desperately to get info from the consultant that worked on the Navy Study after it was leaked to JimLord, and got no response. He had given vast quantities of info which should have prevented the assessment CCWS recieved - Unless the Navy knows something about CCWA (see below).

Whether or not the water to be delivered is clean, OTH, is a different question. The Cobb County Water Authority is responsible for water treatment. There are two water treatment facilities, one drawing off the Chattahooche (upstream from the s**t Atlanta is dumping into it), and one drawing from Alatoona.

I have put quite a few calls into CCWA (Steve Williams ext. 304), but have not yet gotten any response to my calls.

Rick Brun, at CCWS, believes that CCWA went through the same process as CCWS, and feels confident, but he can't speak for the CCWA.

-- Duke 1983 (Duke1983@AOL.com), November 18, 1999.