- May 10, 2024
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While hurricane Matthew was still in the Caribbean the city of Palm Coast’s utility staff was busy doing the same thing their residents were – preparing for the storm. On Wednesday and Thursday, staff was boarding up facilities, making sure their equipment was fueled and ready for use and making sure their families were safe.
“It has been a very busy week,” Cindi Lane, Palm Coast communication manager said. “We have been checking equipment and planning schedules for employees. The city offices will not be open on Saturday, but we will be working, assessing damage and fixing what needs to be fixed.”
Earlier in the week, the city gave the personnel who would be working through the storm time to prepare for their own families, so they could be “full on deck,” according to Lane.
“It’s not going to be a quiet time for us,” Lane said.
Palm Coat Utilities Director Richard Adams had one request for residents – conserve water if the power goes out. A request that might seem odd when the state will be inundated with water, but Adams is preparing for waste water removal.
“If power is out for any amount of time, but especially for long periods, please limit your use of water, even though you may still have water coming from the tap.” Adams asked. “
By limiting water use, residents will help keep the water pressure up, an important requirement for the city to move the waste water collection back to the pump site.
Adams described the three water plants in the city as, “lots of redundancy.”
“We have emergency generators that can operate for days without line power,” Adams said. “We also have three storage tanks, with two million gallons each, for emergency water.”
The water plant structures are concrete and steel, and designed to withstand 120 mph winds, but any major water main break, caused by a tree uprooting lines for example, can cause problems. The most recent treatment plant constructed, number 3, is rated for at least a category 4 hurricane Adams said.
“Most treatment plants are resistant to hurricanes,” Adams said. “They are made of concrete and steel, and designed for heavy winds.”
“Since the 1970s, we have never lost the system, but disasters are just that -- disasters, and there is always a chance,” Adams said.
There is also always a chance a water boil notice will be issued.
“DEP (the Department of Environmental Protection) requires us to issue a precautionary water boil notice if the system pressure drops to a certain level,” Adams said. “It really is precautionary. We then test the system.”
Any notices from the city will be issued through the in-house system, info-send, which is connected to the utility customer data base, CodeRed, or if accessible, tags will be placed on homeowners doors.
