Hot Springs City Manager Bill Burrough said Monday that things are looking up for the municipal water system, but "we're still not out of the woods," as the National Weather Service forecast called for temperatures again dropping below freezing through tonight.
The city of Hot Springs on Sunday asked customers on the municipal water system to conserve water usage due to "critically low" levels brought about by waterline breaks that resulted from recent bitterly cold temperatures.
"We were able to gain some ground overnight," he said. "We still have several hundred accounts that are still showing to be using more than 50 gallons an hour over a 24-hour period. So we've got crews out looking at those. ... Some are over 1,000 gallons an hour. We know that we've still got some big leaks out there on the customer side, so we're just trying to follow this list and hit the largest to the smallest."
Burrough said there have been crews working throughout the holiday weekend to keep water flowing.
"We've had crews working 24/7 for the last three days, moving and manipulating valves, moving water in different sections of the distribution system, which is a huge system," he said. "We've got a 145-square-mile service area, so we're pushing water to the areas that needed when we're seeing some of the tank levels fall below the production point. So we continue to just manipulate that and make sure that we're keeping pressure in all the areas of the system."
The Hot Springs Fire Department responded to approximately 60 calls over the weekend regarding burst pipes throughout the city, according to Shift Commander Kenneth Byrd.
"They started around midnight of (Dec.) 23, actually just past midnight on the 23rd," he said noting approximately 20 calls Friday and 30 on Christmas Eve.
Byrd said while the department has been busy over the weekend, the cause for concern is not over.
"The city put out a message that (it has) critical water levels because you've got some businesses -- (Monday) still being a holiday because some businesses and even the city's closed (Monday) -- so some businesses don't even know," he said. "They'll come back in (today) and realize that they have water issues. So there's some water leaks that we haven't even found yet that'll rear their heads (today)."
Burrough said the city's primary backup system is comprised of two 3 million-gallon tanks located on the south side of West Mountain known as the "Twins."
"They're really key -- those and Music Mountain tank," he said. "They're really the key behind our entire system. They're able to move water to all the pressure planes, so the 'Twins' are really the key to our system today."
One of those primary tanks was taken offline Sunday night, so it could be refilled in case the extra water pressure was needed, Burrough said.
While there have been leaks all over the system, Burrough noted the biggest losses have been in the area surrounding the Highway 70 west tank and the Royal/Crystal Hill tank.
"(The tank off Highway) 70 west was one that we were really concerned about," he said. "We actually opened the bypass (valve) there; we think that tank may have actually run out of water. So we opened a bypass and were able to push water directly from the plant in the distribution system without going to the tank. So we were able to keep that area with water and pressure as well.
"What concerns us greatly when we start having these low levels in the tanks and they're falling faster than we can produce is we always want to stand ready in case there's an emergency. If we have a fire, something of that nature, it can drain the system pretty quick."
Byrd said in addition to the leaks, there is the issue of people leaving their water running instead of letting it drip, which has added to the problem.
"You've got people that were told to let their water drip, but they would actually open their water all the way or at a heavy stream, and then that causes overtaxing on the water system," he said. "So with lower water pressure, you can even get a boil order from the city. We haven't had that yet, but that's one of the concerns. So with low water pressure if we do actually have a fire, then the water levels will be down and your pressure will be down."
Burrough said there is no immediate concern about a boil order at this point.
"We weren't in that danger," he said. "Now had we had significant usage -- say a 20-inch main break or a fire -- that could have placed some areas into a boil order effect, but we were able to keep the pressure in all of the system. That's one of the reasons that we have crews not only working overnight shutting off meters that we know have leaks, but they're also out manipulating valves, moving water from one section to the next to make sure we keep the entire system pressurized."
He did note the idea of leaving water running at a "pencil stream" was part of the issue with the excess water usage.
"A lot of people think that you have to have a pencil-thick stream of water coming out of your faucet to prevent it from freezing, and really you only need a drip," he said. "If you can get your faucets dripping, that's sufficient. But when you start opening up, and you've got these pencil-thick streams, that uses an enormous amount of water over a 24-hour period, or even a 12-hour period."
Burrough also suggested leaving lower cabinets open for any faucets on exterior or unheated garage walls.
"Kitchen sinks, a lot of times are on an outer wall, so if that's the case for your home, be sure you're opening the cabinets," he said. "That will help that heat stay in that wall and protect those pipes. And then, of course, make sure you're disconnecting any type of water hose outside, and that you're wrapping or insulating those pipes."
Tommy Bowen, owner of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Hot Springs, said the majority of the burst pipes his plumbers have seen from this storm have been interior pipe failings.
"Most of what we've seen this weekend was in attics," he said. "There have been a few of these (PVC pipes), but most of the houses use copper. PVC is mostly used outside."
With many people traveling due to the holidays as well as many people who own properties as short-term rentals, Burrough said some property owners may not realize they have a significant leak. Those who have leaks and are unable to turn off the water themselves can call the 24/7 Utilities Emergency Hotline at 501-321-6200.
"We're certainly willing to come out and help with shutting that water off, if they're not able to," he said. "We've got a 24/7 hotline that they can call, and we'll dispatch someone out to cut that water off. These on the list that we're going down, if they're major breaks, then we're out there shutting those off already. Hot Springs is very unique in the fact that we have a lot of owners that don't live in the city, a lot of vacation rentals. So we're very cognizant of that, and a lot of these homes, they may not even know they have a leak. So we're out addressing those, as well."
Tommy Bowen, owner of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, shows an example of a pipe that burst after freezing. - Photo by James Leigh of The Sentinel-Record