Divers check out drinking water intakes in Weiser and Snake rivers

I hope everyone is staying warm. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for the temperature to start moving up a bit. 

 And speaking of cold, what would you think of divers willingly going into the Snake River right now? That is what divers from an engineering firm did for Weiser last week. They were checking out our intake system for the City’s water system. 

 The City has two water intakes, one from the Snake River and one from the Weiser River. Before you become alarmed that we drink river water, just know that the water goes through an extensive purification process to make it clear, sparkling, and perfectly drinkable before it reaches your house.  

 That being said, Bill Taylor at the Water Department had been noticing a little bit of organic matter getting past the first barrier, so we decided to check it out. The advantage of diving this time of year is that water flows are low and the water clarity is high. So, these divers went into the frigid water of their own free will to check out your water system.

 The initial finding was that the screen in the Snake River had been knocked loose and just needed to be put back in place, which they did. The Weiser River intake had been bent due to ice and/or boat damage and will require some minor repairs, which the engineering firm will get back with us on how to implement.

 In addition, these intake systems were put in place in the 1970s with an engineering life of about 50 years. So, it is about time to check out not only the initial intake point, but also to run a camera down into the pipes to find out if there are any problems inside. This will be done at a later date. 

 There are some issues with size and layout of the pipes that are creating concerns for the engineering firm on how to insert and retrieve their very expensive camera. There will be more on this later. 

 Also speaking of cold water, the aerators at the Weiser Community Fishing Pond were turned off last week. The Fire Department is needing to practice ice rescues. With the extended cold-spell this was a perfect time to create the conditions needed for this exercise. 

 For those who are concerned about the fish population in the pond without the aerators, I am told that the fish will not be in any danger. The aerators will be turned back on after the exercise.

 In other City news, I was visiting with Police Chief Carl Smith this morning. Phoenix, the newest member of our police force, has probably already paid her way by the street value of the drugs she has sniffed out. Good job Officer Phoenix. Weiser is proud of you. Your fellow Officer Abby has been doing a great job for years. You and Abby are making a great team. 

 For those of you who still have yard waste in the alleys from last year, the City has not forgotten you. The alley cleanup will continue as soon as the freezing temperatures break. Experience has taught our crews that in this kind of weather the yard waste also gets frozen making it difficult to pick up and potentially causing things to break. So, as soon as there is a thaw, the clean-up will continue.

 Also, just a reminder to keep a trickle of water going to prevent pipes from breaking.

 Well, that’s it for this week. Hope you stay warm and have a great week.