Fireplaces roared and generators hummed, working overtime to keep away the chill that descended on Horseshoe Bay during the now-infamous winter storm that turned out the lights and then shut off the water for many folks.
However, it wasn’t just fireplaces and generators working overtime: it has been utility workers, city employees and, of course, plenty of plumbers who still are busy mending burst pipes.
Horseshoe Bay’s mayor said that city staff members--including first responders and public works employees--accumulated more than 1,000 hours of overtime during the storm.
“Residents lost power for nearly a week and used personal strength and resources (fireplaces in use fully!) to manage the extreme cold,” Mayor Cynthia Clinesmith told the Beacon. “Our city showed its character and sense of community throughout the storm.”
She said that out of more than 100 emails she has received, only three were negative.
“Many people were either seeking information or thanking employees for their work on behalf of residents during this unique storm,” Clinesmith said.
A team effort
The collapse of the state’s electrical grid had impacts that cascaded around the city and led to the city’s water plants not being able to produce enough water to maintain pressure in the pipes.
“This occurred primarily due to the electrical shortages in operations and freezing precipitation that caused broken pipes throughout the community,” Clinesmith said in a letter to residents. “Diesel fuel for our generators chilled, resulting in loss of generator power that was critical to maintain the water pumps. This resulted in our utility team having to manually restart operations. With continuous pipe breaks, the water would drain out again and forward steps were taken back a bit each time.”
She said that the city’s emergency protocol was immediately implemented and the utility team switched into overdrive, tracking more than 100 miles of pipes, responding to more than 200 reports of leaks and multiple sewage line breaks.
“The utility team traveled over dangerous roads to get to the plant so they could work day and night to get things back into production,” Clinesmith said.
At the same time, other city employees cleared roads, responded to emergency calls and transported those in need to the hospital.
After water was shut off, the city’s fire department set up a distribution point at Quail Point.
“The Fire Chief and his team ran this personally for three days to ensure availability and to distribute over 39,000 bottles of water to residents and neighboring communities,” Clinesmith said.
She was proud that water was restored within 2-3 days and was not contaminated. Although a boil water notice has expired, residents are encouraged to turn off their irrigation systems until March 1.
Still, the mayor said that the city could always do better and is seeking input from residents during a community town hall that will be held this spring.
“We will share the results of our Long Range Plan, but also use this as an opportunity to offer clear information, seek suggestions and hear concerns about city operations,” she said.
