Downtown water main break - is it affecting us?

[Brian Pedaci]

Woke up to low water pressure this morning. I read that there was a major water main break downtown, leaving Ohio City, Tremont and the near East side without water. This seems to have explained it, but I thought Lakewood maintained a separate water and sewer system. Or are the systems really not all that separate?

[Kate McCarthy]

We had very low water pressure too this morning.

[marklingm]

The Lakewood City School District is in session today, December 17, 2008, and the schools will be serving lunch, but we do not have any water pressure at Emerson, Lincoln and Horace Mann Elementariness [sic] and Garfield Middle School because of an apparent break in a water main in Cleveland. At this point we have no idea how long it will take to make the necessary repairs. Parents have the choice of sending their children to school or keeping them home. If parents choose to keep their child at home, we ask that they call the attendance numbers at their child’s school and the absence will be treated as an excused absence with no penalty.

Dr. David C. Estrop
Superintendent of Schools
Lakewood City School District

[Valerie Molinski]

Woke up to low water pressure this morning. I read that there was a major water main break downtown, leaving Ohio City, Tremont and the near East side without water. This seems to have explained it, but I thought Lakewood maintained a separate water and sewer system. Or are the systems really not all that separate?

It is far reaching. Most of downtown is out too, including Midtown, where I work.

[marklingm]

The Lakewood City School District is pleased to report that water pressure has been restored to all four of the affected schools (Emerson, Horace Mann, Lincoln and Garfield) in Lakewood. The District is anticipating that a boil order will be issued (no official order has been received as of this time), so bottled water will be provided for student and staff consumption at all four schools. Superintendent David C. Estrop has sent a second AlertNow telephone message to all parents in the four schools and has encouraged any family living north of Detroit Avenue to boil water for consumption or to make use of bottled water.

Superintendent Estrop sincerely appreciates the cooperation of all of the staff and students at the four affected schools as the problem was being sorted out this morning. The Superintendent also thanks Mayor FitzGerald and the staff at the City of Lakewood for their cooperation and assistance.

[Valerie Molinski]

Boil Alert Issued For Downtown, East, West Sides
ER At MetroHealth Reopens
POSTED: 7:49 am EST December 17, 2008
UPDATED: 1:03 pm EST December 17, 2008

CLEVELAND -- A boil alert was issued Wednesday for downtown and the east and west sides of Cleveland after a water main break Wednesday morning.

City officials said the alert is precautionary. It is not mandatory.
Cleveland Division of Water Commissioner Chris Nelson said the boil alert will be in effect until at least Thursday afternoon.
The area includes the area in Cleveland from West 117th Street, south to Madison; West 97th south to Dennison and Denison to Lake Erie, and Interstate 71 to I-490. Anything north of I-490, including downtown Cleveland, is included. Also, the area to East 55th and north to Central, and Central to East 79th Street to Lake Erie. (Click on picture below for map of area.)


The city of Lakewood would have to issue its own boil alert.

Nelson said residents using the water for cooking or drinking should keep water at a rolling boil for at least three minutes. Water used for laundry, bathing or dish washing is fine.

[Stan Austin]

Brian---- The system is one system so when there is an extreme break like this one it reduces pressure throughout immediate areas. In this case I would think that this water is pumped from the Division Avenue pumping station at W.44 and the Shoreway.

What you are talking about is primarily billing and ownership. Lakewood is a master meter city. Its water runs from the Division Avenue station, through a master meter, and is then routed through water supply lines owned, operated, and maintained by the Lakewood Division of Water.

If Lakewood were a self contained system with a Lake intake, treatment plant, and pumping station, then this reduction in pressure would not have affected us.

The only community that I can think of off hand that is not part of this regional water system is Berea. Their water is supplied by the Baldwin Resevoir I think.

Stan Austin

[sharon kinsella]

I ran some water into a pail early and I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. It's brown and nasty looking.

[Jeff Dreger]

just how long am I supposed to run the water before it'll finally stop looking so nasty brown when I try to fill my sink??

it looks more or less clear if it's running but as soon as you have more than 1/4 inch in a white container you can see that it's full of red-brown something

no boil alert perhaps but i won't be doing anything with it for a while

[Missy Limkemann]

thankfully we had clear water all day and full pressure. and i am so happy for that because it was doggie bath day. LOL.

[Shawn Juris]

Anyone care to jump in on the how's and why's of this seemingly acceptable negligence? I'm dumbfounded when I listen to those "in control" who excuse this problem with comments about how old the system is. You have to be a real bonehead to run an operation that has an infrastructure as old as this one and not expect problems. Do they really not keep up with repairs on some sort of schedule? Am I to believe that twice in two years pipes broke that were innocently missed and overlooked? What exactly is the risk/benefit analysis that leads the powers to be to not correct the situation. The businesses that lost income should really be putting together some sort of class action lawsuit to hold this idiots accountable. What is the life expectancy of a pipe?
Who is responsible for repairs? Is this a tax revenue issue? Lord knows we pay plenty, why has this not been earmarked and taken care of over say the past 30 years. How many politicians were asleep at the switch on this one? Each time that there is a water main break and the city is shut down and businesses lose money, the organizations who run this circus should have to pay a fine, and the individuals at the helm should have to help fund the penalty with a garnishment of wages.
One of the bumbleheads was on last night talking about how he wasn't Superman and couldn't be expected to see underground. NO, we don't expect that but I do expect that records have been kept over say the past 30 years at least to track of what portions of the 5000 miles of line have been repaired or replaced. Ideally, I'd expect that repair orders were kept since the time they were installed but we are dealing with a utitlity monopoly and I've never believed those to be too concerned about high levels of competence or service. Two years in a row of this embarrassment may be enough for me.

[Stan Austin]

Shawn--- Your reaction to the situation is exactly the reason why those whose responsibility is to maintain infrastructure shy away from presenting the reality to the public.
Stan Austin

[Shelley Hurd]

Boil Alert Issued For Downtown, East, West Sides
ER At MetroHealth Reopens
POSTED: 7:49 am EST December 17, 2008
UPDATED: 1:03 pm EST December 17, 2008

CLEVELAND -- A boil alert was issued Wednesday for downtown and the east and west sides of Cleveland after a water main break Wednesday morning.

City officials said the alert is precautionary. It is not mandatory.
Cleveland Division of Water Commissioner Chris Nelson said the boil alert will be in effect until at least Thursday afternoon.
The area includes the area in Cleveland from West 117th Street, south to Madison; West 97th south to Dennison and Denison to Lake Erie, and Interstate 71 to I-490. Anything north of I-490, including downtown Cleveland, is included. Also, the area to East 55th and north to Central, and Central to East 79th Street to Lake Erie. (Click on picture below for map of area.)


The city of Lakewood would have to issue its own boil alert.

Nelson said residents using the water for cooking or drinking should keep water at a rolling boil for at least three minutes. Water used for laundry, bathing or dish washing is fine.

What department would issue a Boil Alert? Would it be the Health department? Do we still have a health department?

[ryan costa]

this is another problem that originated on the east side.

Is it feasible to build a water tower, keep it filled, as some kind of reserve of water and pressure. even sheffield lake had its own water tower.

[Jim DeVito]

this is another problem that originated on the east side.

Is it feasible to build a water tower, keep it filled, as some kind of reserve of water and pressure. even sheffield lake had its own water tower.

It is funny you should say water towers. I was talking with a co worker yesterday and he seems to think that most of the water towers in this area are not filled. It makes sense as they have been replaced by pumps but it is odd that we have a bunch of empty water towers.