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Arizona Water Company
On the weekend of Sunday, June 25, 2017, Arizona Water Company had planned to lower the water level in the main tank to accommodate tank maintenance and an inspection. Due to an increased demand for water in the upper part of San Manuel nearest the tank, the increased flow lowered the water level quicker than what had been expected. Air pockets were created in conjunction with the lower part of the tank being drawn into the system causing loss of water for some customers and sediment being drawn into the water in a number of homes in upper San Manuel.
“Had we known there was going to be a water outage, we would have notified the community,” said Leonard Garcia, Operations Superintendent for Arizona Water San Manuel Division. “This was an unforeseen event. Once we realized there was dirty water we made sure the bypass system was working immediately.”
He added, “As customers came in and called, we offered them bottled water and service crews to come to their residence and flush out their lines. At no time was the water unsafe to drink.”
Some complaints came in on Sunday evening but were not acted on as the office was closed and the complaints were left on the office recorder. Calls that went to the emergency number were responded to. Right after the first emergency call on Sunday night, the bypass system was initiated. There was some delay caused by a mechanical failure of a pump which was remedied by a crew within a half hour. The bulk of complaints came in on Monday. There was a total of 60 complaints of brown water and 20 complaints of no water. By late Monday afternoon before 6 p.m., the whole system was cleared of dirty water.
“We have addressed the concerns present in San Manuel,” said Leonard.
Arizona Water Company appreciates our customer’s patience and understanding for the inconvenience this may have caused. Customers are urged to call the local office at (520) 385-2226 with any questions or concerns.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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