The drinking water advisory for Bar Circle S has been cancelled. Samples show no indication of coliforms or e-coli, and the system has been returned to 100% operating capacity.
We are aware that the verbiage contained in the sent notification can raise a red flag warning. This is a form letter provided by the IDEQ. There are situations that require strong verbiage to keep customers safe from dangerous contaminants, this was not one of those events. We will be working with the local IDEQ to modify the current depressurization notice so that it does not illicit a panic response. Please know that if this had been an immediate risk to public health, Gem State would have notified local new outlets and employed additional manpower to ensure all of our customers had swift notification. We, as servants of public health, do not take our position lightly.
With that being said, please continue to log into our online portal to update your user profile with your most current contact information so that we may reach you regarding unplanned service interruptions, planned system upgrade work, or current news. We will not use social media sites for notification purposes and encourage our customers to come directly to our website for factual information. You may also send contact updates through our web site or call during office hours. Your cooperation is appreciated as we work to employ new technology to better help us serve you. We are a staff of few located in Coeur D Alene and we do our best to connect with everyone who reaches out by phone, email, and in person, but it becomes challenging with the influx of concerned customers during an unplanned or unexpected event. A heartfelt thank you goes out to those customers that showed our staff kindness over the last few days, you are appreciated!!
The Staff at Gem State
2/17/2022 – Gem State isolated the line break and is working with a local leak detection and excavator to get the line repaired and back in service. We are happy to report that almost all of our customers have had their services restored. We apologize to the customers that are still being affected by the mainline rupture. We have sent out notices via out RAVE system to those customers that we have current contact information for. If you did not receive this notice please contact us to update your information. This can be done by registering with our online portal, by submitting an email, calling our office, or by mail. RAVE alerts are delivered by email, text, phone, or RSS.
2/16/2022 – On Tuesday February 15th at approximately 10 pm our technicians were notified by our alarm system that the Bar Circle S reservoir water level had dropped below normal operating levels. Field staff immediately responded to find that the reservoir had almost completely emptied of the 180k gallons in storage. The well pumps were active but were unable to keep up with the water main break. After isolating the reservoir the technicians monitored the levels to ensure that the system could maintain fire protection. At 5 AM on January 16th operators were able to isolate the mainline break and shut the valve that feeds the small section of line. After returning the system back to full operating capacity we were notified that there were a number of customers still without water. It appears that an air lock occurred in the upper half of the system which prevented the water from reaching some customers. We are currently working on flushing the system and will be sampling due to the depressurization.
We appreciate your patience while we work to remedy this situation.
DRINKING WATER NOTIFICATION
Due to a depressurization due to a spontaneous mainline rupture.
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
System Name and PWS ID#: Game State -Bar Circle S #ID1280010
INFORMATIVE NOTIFICATION
– Notificación Informativa –
This notification is not in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Esta alerta de notificación no es en respuesta a la pandemia de COVID-19. –
Due to a depressurization due to a spontaneous mainline rupture.
We routinely monitor the conditions in the drinking water distribution system. On 02/15/2022 we experienced a drop in water pressure below 20 psi/loss of pressure due to a spontaneous mainline rupture. A drop in/loss of water pressure creates conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through backflow, by backpressure, or back-siphonage. As a result, there is an increased chance that the drinking water may contain disease-causing organisms.
What should I do?
- DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil. Let it boil for one minute and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
- You may continue to use your water to wash your hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (Puede seguir utilizando el agua para lavarse las manos usando jabón y agua por lo menos 20 segundos.)
- Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
- The symptoms above are caused by many types of organisms. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
What is being done?
Gem State is currently flushing the system and sampling. We will inform you when your water is safe to drink. We anticipate resolving the problem within 48 hours.
For more information, please contact Gem State at 1.877.755.9287, email us at info@gemstate-water.com
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by Gem State Water
PWS ID #:ID1280010 Date distributed: 2/16/2022
A downloadable copy of the official notice can be found here (Drinking Water Notice).