Backup plan to pump water

Dual power feeds and backup generators are in place for emergencies.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
Had the power outage that struck much of the Northeast hit the Mahoning Valley earlier this month, our water supply would likely have continued flowing.
Local companies that provide water throughout Mahoning and Trumbull counties have backup power supplies, and most officials think it's enough to carry them through a crisis like the one that crippled the New York City-to-Cleveland corridor.
The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which supplies water to some 300,000 people through Youngstown and Niles, has a dual source of power coming into its Salt Springs Road plant, said chief engineer Dave Tabak.
Ohio Edison Co. feeds electricity to the facility from two substations, meaning the MVSD could switch its supply from one line to another.
"But if there were a power outage of such a magnitude that both feeds were down, then yes, it probably would create some problems," Tabak said.
He also noted that even if MVSD were able to get the water from Meander Reservoir and treated at the plant, once it was distributed to Youngstown and Niles, those cities would need backup power to pump it out to consumers.
The MVSD pumps between 27 million and 30 million gallons of water a day to Niles and Youngstown.
Preparedness
In Warren, which has its own water supply, a severe power outage would simply mean switching to backup generators, said Vincent Romeo, water plant supervisor.
The generators operate on diesel fuel and feature a battery backup.
"We would be able to pump from the lake to the plant and then out from there," he said.
The generators are strong enough to allow the plant to operate at normal capacity, Romeo noted.
Consumers Water Co., which supplies customers in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, has a similar backup plan, but uses trailer-mounted generators to provide power in emergency situations, explained Brian Bisson, vice president of engineering.
"Our elevated storage tanks are sized for emergency situation and can provide water for quite a few hours without any pumping," he said.
If power were out for more than a few hours, as it was in Cleveland, then the generators would be brought in as an additional source.
One large generator would be used to operate the plant, while others would be sent to booster stations to ensure water pressure flows at a normal pace.
"We would likely be able to keep up with an average day's supply," he said.
slshaulis@vindy.com