Water crisis is not over yet: More repairs are underway at the RLCD plant

Just 24 hours after the 160,000 or so residents relying on Rend Lake for their water supply breathed a sigh of relief when a major pipe breach was repaired, it seems that might have been a bit too soon.
Around 1 p.m. today, Larry Sanders, general counsel and assistant general manager of the Rend Lake Conservancy District, sent an update on the plant's return to operation.
"On Wednesday when the pipe breached, the plant had a large amount of water run through it before the pumps were completely shut down," said Sanders.
The 36-inch pipe ruptured on Wednesday, causing massive disruption to residents, businesses and institutions in southern Illinois. Schools and hotels were evacuated, and medical offices shortened their hours.
While employees quickly identified damage from the original breach, Sanders said it was suspected that more damage would be found when the plant came back on line.
"The additional damage has now been identified and crews are being assembled to make those repairs," said Sanders.
Sanders said those repairs might require slowing the flow of water for short periods or even stopping the flow. "This will occur at times when demand is reduced," he said.
Sanders said that the district's storage tanks located throughout the district were filled once the original breach was repaired. Those are at or near capacity. However, there is no information available to the RLCD on the storage tanks maintained by the cities.
The district tanks are experiencing high demand from the cities, according to Sanders.
"The logical progression is that the cities are still actively seeking to fill their elevated and ground storage tanks," he said.
Sanders said the RLCD is urging its customers to continue to conserve water. "Anecdotally, reports have been received of pools being filled this weekend before Memorial Day," he said. "Please don't do this yet."
Most of the communities affected by the water crisis instituted burn bans. "Miraculously, no know fires have occurred in the district since Wednesday," said Sanders, urging residents to conserve so that water would be available for emergencies.
Sanders said water samples are being drawn today. He expects those results to be available tomorrow.
"If the results who the water in the district's lines is safe to drink, towns and water districts will want to be prepared to draw samples of their systems in the early afternoon on Sunday," Sanders said.