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May 2, 2002
JEA WATER SYSTEM SUSTAINS NO SERIOUS DAMAGE FROM MONDAY'S POWER OUTAGE
The events of April 29 did not cause any serious damage to the JEA water system. The temporary loss of water pressure in parts of the water grid was the result of the extraordinary power outage. In the next two years, JEA's water system will be capable of maintaining water pressure throughout the entire grid in the very unlikely event such an extreme power outage occurred again.
Pursuant to state regulations, the loss of water pressure required JEA to issue a boil-water advisory. Extensive water sample testing has confirmed the water is safe in 98% of the affected areas. The testing work is expected to be completed for the Panama Park and Harts Road areas by the afternoon of May 2. We have every reason to believe that this water is also safe; however, pursuant to state regulations an "all clear" cannot be given until the confirmation tests are complete.
JEA is one of over sixty thousand American water utilities. JEA's design and maintenance standards are among the highest of American water utilities. Included in these standards are capabilities to continue operations during power outages. Water utilities are heavy electric power users, primarily for the purpose of operating pumps to push treated water from water production plants into the pipe grid which brings water to individual customers. These electrically powered pumps force water into the pipe grid to replace water as it is used by customers and to maintain desired water pressure levels.
Every JEA water plant has some form of redundant power source. Current industry standards allow either backup generators or "dual feed" connection between water customers and water plants. In parts of Jacksonville, the dual feed approach was commonly used for this purpose. However, JEA's more stringent standard is the widespread deployment of backup generators.
During the five years JEA has been operating the City's water utility, standards of performance have been raised to the current high level. Among these many standards, is the installation of backup electric generators at the water plants to provide electric power during periods of electric grid power outages.
The current status of the ongoing improvement to the backup generator systems at the over twenty-five water treatment plants was such that water pressure was maintained for many, but not all, water customers during the extraordinary system wide power outage on April 29. JEA expects its ongoing backup generation program to be capable in the next twenty-four months of maintaining water pressure should such an extraordinary power outage occur in the future.
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