It is still unclear as to exactly why the water in the cubie was discolored, but Ft. Wainwright tenants were under advisement during the time the cubie was filled that local utilities were being serviced.
The following Public Notice was distributed by Doyon Utilities:
Beginning the week of May 21, 2018 Doyon Utilities will begin seasonal flushing of water mains on Fort Wainwright. The fire hydrants on Post shall be opened and flushed to scour the pipes and refresh the water distribution systems to insure quality drinking water for our customers. We will be flushing daily between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday thru Friday for the period from 22 May until 29 June. Customers may notice some intermittent discoloration in the water which is not harmful and shall clear up quickly during the flushing process.
The drinking water distributed to our Firefighters comes from a municipal source and the water is regularly tested with results published and made available to the public. This water also passes through an additional on site filtration system before it is distributed into cubitainers.
This secondary filtration system is a relatively new addition to our commitment to provide clean water to our firefighters and it is believed that a combination of operator error and the seasonal flushing created the issue. We have since installed an additional in line filter, capable of capturing finer particulates, to this system.
A sample of the discolored water has been taken to a lab for testing to ensure it was not harmful. All cubies filled by Alaska Fire Service personnel are labeled with the date and location when filled. |
