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Continuous Services in the Wake of the Storm

While clearing roadways and restoring power quickly became a priority following the August 10 derecho, an initial feeling of relief came to residents upon discovering that their water was still running and their toilets could still flush. Great care is taken by the City of Cedar Rapids Utilities Department to ensure its ability to provide continuous, reliable service no matter what Mother Nature sends our way.

The treatment of water and wastewater are both processes that must be online 24 hours a day, day in and day out. The sewer and storm sewer network need to work reliably around the clock. Garbage collection is another essential service residents rely on every week. Reliable service is a benchmark that the entire City of Cedar Rapids team is proud to meet every day. After the storm, simple comforts like a cold glass of water after hours of backyard cleanup — and a shower (no matter the temperature) — took on additional meaning when any ounce of normalcy was especially welcome.

In the week following the storm, garbage-collection crews provided new relief as entire refrigerators and freezers were emptied from customers’ homes. In only three days, crews collected more than two weeks’ worth of garbage — much of it by hand — as double- and triple-bagged piles awaited curbside collection. This spoiled food could have quickly become another public health crisis had crews not worked the long, strenuous hours needed to get the job done.

Having persevered through numerous flood events, City staff understood the importance of maintaining clear waterways and functioning sewer infrastructure. The Sewer division team has a unique skillset which allows their group to assess, map, remove, and repair infrastructure all within their own department. The division continues to work on assessing the damage to waterways and infrastructure following the storm even today.

Approximately 64 percent of the City’s waterways were blocked or had potential to become blocked by tree debris after the storm.

Using computer data developed since the flood of 2008, preliminary assessments of risk areas allowed clearing work to be done in an efficient manner. Staff assessed high-risk areas and documented any blockages. According to data collected, approximately 64 percent of the City’s waterways were blocked — or had potential to become blocked — by tree debris after the storm.

As power was restored in more sectors of the community, the City’s water and wastewater treatment processes kept pace, serving the community’s food and grain processing, manufacturing, and other industrial users. For years, the Cedar Rapids Utilities Department has taken steps to invest in this reliability. In a way, the storm highlighted the importance of that work.

The flood of 2008 provided an opportunity to invest in additional reliability at the City’s water and wastewater treatment plants. As a result of work following the flood, generator capacity was expanded at the Water Pollution Control Facility. On the morning of August 10, staff were finalizing plans to replace and upgrade generator capacity at the J Avenue Water Treatment Plant as part of the City’s continuing Capital Improvements Program.

Switching to generator power across water and wastewater utilities was, in most cases, automatic. This key investment ensures treatment processes are not interrupted and equipment is not damaged by sudden loss or startup of electricity. Ongoing maintenance and testing of generator control systems keep the City prepared when such a response is required.

From 2009 to 2012, projects were completed that upgraded electrical management in two City well fields. In 2015, overhead power lines were run underground, connecting one well field directly to the Northwest Treatment Plant and, subsequently, its generator capacity.

In August 2019, the Water division placed a new Kirkwood Boulevard Water Tank into service, improving the overall resiliency of the water system. Elevated storage tanks give our system greater resiliency during a catastrophic event like this derecho.

Investments over the past 20 years to standardize the City’s Solid Waste & Recycling collection equipment has also allowed for greater flexibility and interchangeability. Staff were able to reroute yard waste and recycling trucks to run garbage collection routes when field conditions made this necessary.

In Cedar Rapids, when residents turn on their faucet, they know they can expect safe, great-tasting water to flow. Customers know that, after flushing their toilets, wastewater will leave their house and get treated to a high standard before returning to the water cycle. Cedar Rapids residents count on Solid Waste and Recycling crews to collect garbage and keep their homes sanitary. The City is proud of its investments in reliable services that promote the public health.

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