Houston water supply out of jeopardy

[lovuian]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3372455

Water service to more than half a million Houston-area residents and several key industrial facilities was in jeopardy over the weekend when Hurricane Rita knocked out power to a crucial pumping station, officials said today.


Cooperative efforts between CenterPoint Energy, Entergy and local governments restored power before the Lynchburg Reservoir, which is supplied by water pumped from the Trinity River, ran dry .

"Many Houstonians breathed a sigh of relief when we didn't confront 100 mile per hour winds, flooding and the kind of damage that was inflicted on our fellow Americans in Lake Charles, Port Arthur and Beaumont," said Houston Mayor Bill White. "But when you have a hurricane this big . . . there are some untold stories on the effects to our region."

The risk to the upper Texas Coast was significant, he said.

The customers potentially affected include several major refineries and petrochemical industries that depend upon a supply of fresh water for their operations, White said.

Entergy is the primary source of power supply to the Trinity River Pump Station, a 30-year-old facility operated by the Coastal Water Authority. It conveys water from the Trinity River via a 22-mile canal to the Lynchburg Reservoir near Baytown.

more...

Houston got REAL LUCKY!!!

[kestrel91316]

1. Why on earth doesn't this critical pumping station have

a f---ing backup power source, like a generator??????????????????

:wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: