(Sutter Creek) A July electrical storm destroyed computer controls throughout the upcountry water system, causing at least $5000.00 in equipment damage and staff overtime cost.
AWA staff were forced to manually operate pumps and tanks for up to three days in several locations after power surges damaged the complex communication systems that tell pumps when and where to send water to upcountry areas.
At about 11 pm on Saturday, July 14, lightning damage shut down the Tiger Creek and Silver Lake Pines pump stations that lift water from the Mokelumne River to the Buckhorn Water Treatment plant that provides drinking water to upcountry homes. At the same time, the Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant shut down when a transducer stopped working due to nearby lightning. Amador Water Agency technicians worked until early morning hours to bypass broken equipment and get the water treatment plant back online before upcountry water storage tanks dropped to dangerous levels.
Also damaged by the storm were controls at a tank on Trent Way that supplies water to the Jackson Rancheria Casino and area homes, on the well that serves the LaMel Heights subdivision, and an electronic water meter at Mace Meadow Fairway Pines lift station.
Dozens of times each year, electrical problems, wild fires and power outages cause potential interruptions of upcountry water service because electricity powers the water pumps.
The Water Agency encourages local residents to be prepared for possible water outages by keeping a supply of drinking water on hand. Residents are also asked to follow neighborhood signs and announcements that may ask them to conserve water due to an electrical outage or mechanical failure.
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