Coconino County Residents Face Boil-Water Advisory Amid Power Shutoff
Residents of Doney Park, located in Coconino County, Arizona, are currently under a boil-water advisory due to a power shutdown that affected the area earlier this week. This advisory is a precaution after the Arizona Public Service (APS) turned off electricity to nearly 6,000 customers because of heightened wildfire risks.
On Wednesday evening, Doney Park Water instructed the community to switch to bottled water until further notice. The advisory affects approximately 9,500 residents, according to Marc Twidwell, the General Manager of Doney Park Water, as reported by KNAU.
The issue arose when the pressure in four out of sixteen water zones dropped below 20 psi during APS’s Public Safety Power Shutoff. This low pressure level, sustained for about four hours, increases the risk of non-potable water entering the system, necessitating the advisory.
As a countermeasure, Doney Park Water initiated a chlorine flushing of the system on Thursday and began a 24-hour bacterial test. Twidwell noted that the results of these tests could potentially allow the lifting of the boil-water advisory by Friday.
The current water system in Doney Park lacks backup power generation, which would enable it to maintain adequate pressure during power outages. Instead, the system relies on water stored at higher elevations to sustain pressure.
The power shutdown by APS lasted nearly 10 hours in rural areas surrounding Flagstaff on Wednesday. This measure was taken due to high winds that posed a threat to power lines and contributed to extreme fire conditions.
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