Staff report
City of Portsmouth Waterworks Director Sam Sutherland said that the Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) transitioned back over onto the Portsmouth Water System early Wednesday morning with no real issues reported in the transition. The Portsmouth City Health Department worked closely with SOMC in hyper chlorination procedures at the facility before the transition overnight was made. The hospital was not reporting any issues in operational status in the switch over.
Portsmouth Fire Department stood down their water hauling and pumping mission as of 5:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Local officials and the citizenry expressed gratitude for the 10 day 24 hours a day mission that fire departments engaged in to enable the hospital to maintain medical services to the community.
Sutherland said the 900,000-gallon water storage tank on Sunrise Avenue has held steady near 81 feet Wednesday morning. Contractors will continue to expedite the Sunrise Reservoir Line Improvement project through next week to tie in new lines to the water delivery system to Sunrise Reservoir with hopes of beginning to refill the larger 22 million gallon Portsmouth Reservoir soon.
Traffic Detours:
Traffic detours near the line improvement work will continue. For
access to businesses on Offnere Street -Southbound only traffic may
enter at 17th Street. All other intersections north of Robinson Avenue
remain closed.
Kinney’s Lane will be closed at the intersection with Offnere
Street. Beginning Monday morning, all eastbound through traffic should
use alternative routes via Waller Street.
Westbound through traffic should use alternative routes via Grandview
Avenue while operations take place. Local traffic will be able to
access roadways up to Oakland Avenue from the West and the North
entrance to Greenlawn Cemetery from the East. Closure signs are
already in place on US 52 and Offnere Street. The Contractors will be
placing additional signage. SOMC traffic should utilize Coles Blvd and
Grandview routes to access the hospital.
Important: Conserve Water
It is important to conserve water until the large Sunrise Reservoir
can refill once the improvement project is completed. This includes
refraining from flushing lines and filling pools. Normal water usage
is allowable. The use of fireworks in residential neighborhoods is
discouraged at this time. Fighting house fires would hamper water
conservation efforts.
Water Resources
Until all sediment flushes through the system and after reservoir line
improvement project is completed later next week, the public will
still be able to draw water at the filtration plan at New Boston on US
52. Water delivery to special needs will continue on a case by case
basis by calling the Portsmouth City Health Department information
line. It is important to remain hydrated through this period of heat
and humidity. Check on the elderly in your neighborhood and continue
to report any suspicious water running. The water quality and special
needs water assistance call line at Portsmouth City Health is
(740)354-8931.
