In the coming days, the water emergency that cost Española 1 million gallons of water and left Tank 2 and Well 2 temporarily useless will be on its way to being just a bad memory, according to city officials.
The city finished installing a pipe Tuesday that will divert the water pumped from Well 2 directly into the system, bypassing the damaged tank on Industrial Park Road entirely. That means within the next few days, the city will be able to lift the Stage 4 Water Emergency declared at an emergency City Council meeting July 15, Acting City Manager Veronica Albin said.
In the meantime, Albin said she is in the process of drafting a contract for Albuquerque-based D&R Tank Company, the original builders of Tank 2, to repair the tank. Currently both Albin and D&R expect the repairs to begin by about July 27. City Water Director Marvin Martinez said they should be complete in six to eight weeks.
The repairs should cost the city around $235,000, according to the estimate given to the city July 15 by D&R after inspecting the tank. They will include the removal of all debris resulting from the leak, and replacing the washed-out tank floor that caused the leak in the first place.
The city has to pay for the repairs because the leak was caused by a lack of maintenance not a construction flaw, Public Works Director Ben Ortega said.
“One good thing is the tank appears structurally to be intact,” he said. “It’s like an old water heater. It’s just that the bottom eroded and gave out.”
Ortega is correct, according to D&R’s inspection report, which said Tank 2 was in very good condition for its length of service. Tank 2 was built in 1989, meaning it ought to have about 10 years more of service if nothing else goes wrong, Water Director Marvin Martinez said. The city has tanks that have been in service longer, some of which need to be repaired or replaced as well (see sidebar).
Tank 2 failed at around 9 p.m. July 13, after a leak caused by severe corrosion of the tank floor caused the floor to wash away, spilling the tank’s 1 million gallons of stored water out the bottom. A commercial diver’s report in February identified the corrosion and recommended the tank’s immediate repair or replacement, but no action was taken. The loss of Well 2 meant the city could meet only 45 percent of its total anticipated demand compared with 72 percent prior to the leak, causing the City Council to declare a Stage 4 Water Emergency. A municipality meets the requirements for Stage 4 restrictions when it can meet less than 50 percent of anticipated demand. (To see the list of restrictions look for this story at www.riograndesun.com)
The night the tank failed, the consequences were expected to be far more serious. Officials doubted whether the tank could be repaired in time to provide adequate fire protection to Española Middle School when classes resume in August, or to the rest of the service area. If a city cannot provide adequate fire protection to a building, that building cannot legally be occupied. The city obtained a variance from the state to use arsenic-contaminated water from Well 3 to provide that need. If the state had not agreed, the entire Industrial Park Road neighborhood would have had to be shut down until a sufficient supply of temporary tanks could be brought in because none of those buildings would have had fire protection until then.
City officials credited the relatively minor impact of what could have been a far more serious emergency to the timely and efficient response of Martinez and his staff.
“They handled it competently and efficiently,” said Mayor Pro Tem Alice Lucero. “I would like to commend them.”
Director in Trouble
The water emergency also allowed Martinez to dodge a bullet at least temporarily.
Albin confirmed that she had commenced disciplinary proceedings against Martinez prior to the emergency in connection with disagreements over training and Martinez’s access to an arsenic treatment system at Well 1. Since Martinez has hired legal representation to fight the proceedings, Albin would not disclose further details about the situation.
“It could,” said Albin, when asked if the action would result in Martinez’s suspension, but declined to comment further. “I have a letter from his lawyer on my desk so I won’t say more.”
The proceedings will not go forward until the city’s current water emergency is resolved and stable, she said. Martinez declined to comment on the matter.