Any more info about the water outage in Puerto Rico? Has service been restored yet? Do they know the cause? Thanks.

-- d (d@d.com), January 24, 2000

Answers

Well, my spanish sucks, and so does the babelfish translator, but here goes, complements of babelfish

Musical comedy the sound of the water in the faucets Monday, 24 of January of 2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------

By Julio Ghigliotty The New Day

The SERVICE of water began to arrive in the morning yesterday in the low areas of San Juan, Carolina and High Trujillo and executives of the Water Company hoped that 100% of the service are restored not to take morning more at night.

Lucas Diaz, regional director for the region meter of the Water Company, said in a press conference in Carramzo that had been begun with the pumping of about 44 million daily gallons for the three affected municipalities, which 27 million left from the dam of Carramzo and the rest 17 million were turned aside of the plant that replaces to Guaynabo, the Silver and the Anvil.

The metropolitan area of San Juan consumes about 100 million daily gallons and the explosion of the elbow Thursday in the evening left without water 600.000 people in San Juan, Carolina and High Trujillo.

This had to that one of the six pumps affected by the flood in the quarter of pumping was only working when operated the elbow that connects the pump number two with the pipe that takes to the crude water to the plant Sergio Caves, where is dealed with and distributed to the three mentioned municipalities the metropolitan area of San Juan.

Jean Ruiz, director of operations of the area of San Juan, said that the other pumps are in different stages from the process to return to go into service. All the electrical panels who control the pumps, nevertheless, already were ready about the 3:00 p.m. to go into service, reason why they hope that all is working on time to restore the service in 100% not to take morning more at night.

Diaz, on the other hand, explained that the low areas were first in receiving water when the service began and the first communities in seeing the liquid appraised one leave their pens were in the Santurce the street Working in Shutdown 18, the avenue Jesus T. Pi6nero in New Port, Earnest money Terrace, the Acacias, Villa Nevarez and Country Club in Piedras River. Engineer Diaz said that they had luck, that they had stored to all the pieces and the equipment that needed to replace, including more modern electrical panels.

The PIECE that more work gave to replace, according to Ruiz, was the elbow that exploded, since it had to be constructed. It praised the work of the employees of the factory of Juana the Diaz of the company Atlantic Pipe, who welded several sections of steel tube to form the elbow. It said that it is not the first time, indicating another elbow that had been made in the same way. It explained that the same one is permanent and will only require a radiografica inspection within years to verify that is in good internal conditions.

Diaz, on the other hand, said that the Authority for the Financing of the Infrastructure has in progress a project to replace the six pumps of the Carramzo dam, but did not know for when the work will become.

There are classes in the state schools

The secretary of Education, Vmctor Fajardo, informed as usual that the schools affected by the lack of water will open today. He announced that during the weekend he provided himself from water to the schools and that those that lacks the service must communicate to 734-0124.

Of equal way, the director of the Enclosure of Piedras River of the University of Puerto Rico, George Hillyer, alerted to students and employees of which today the classes are started again. By the suspension of classes Friday, the period of matriculation for the second semester has been extended Tuesday see you tomorrow.

Here is the link for those that speak Spanish...

Link

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 24, 2000.

Thanks, Carl, for finding the article & especially for translating it!!! I got the sense that there was an explosion and that several of the pumps were down -- is this what you understood & did the article explain what caused the explosion and/or pump failure? In other words, did the explosion cause the pumps to fail or did the pump failure cause the explosion? (or does it not explain?) Thanks again!

-- d (d@d.com), January 24, 2000.

Sorry d, hopefully someone who understands the regional nuances of spanish as spoken in Puerto Rico can read the original and give us a better idea as to the cases... it appears in reading it that they didn't just have to replace a section of pipe, but some control panels as well, plus it looks like their may be some work on the actual pumps... the replacement of the control panels makes me suspect a scada error that caused the pumps to overpressurize the line...

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 24, 2000.

Interesting...

-- d (d@d.com), January 24, 2000.