YEAR AGO: Water Issues - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

YEAR AGO: Water Issues

One year ago, as record flooding continued along the Mouse River in North Dakota, Minot officials said the city was facing a catastrophe beyond the damage being done to homes and businesses.

Public Works Director Alan Walter said the city's water supply system was breaking down under the flood water.

(Alan Walter - Minot Public Works Director) "We continue to work on finding the water breaks and finding the valves to turn off and secure the system.  There is a number of breaks under the water and we can't see anything under ten feet of water.  We are trying to isolate it with the valves that we are turning."

And people around the region were adjusting to the requirement to boil water before use.
For places like restaurants and day care centers, it was a major inconvenience.
For other places, such as Trinity Hospital, it had life-or-death implications.
And the National Guard stepped in to supply its water purification equipment and people to help give a needed supply of safe water.

(Jeffery Verhey MD/Trinity Hospital) "It means an awful lot to have that system there for our patients. As you know the water system in Minot, they're having to boil the water and they're having some water pressure problems. And what that system does is allows us to have a stable and clean supply of water for our patients so we can take care of them."

Thousands of people also were dealing with the inconvenience of having only one route open between north and south Minot. The 83 bypass was jammed with cars and trucks most of the day, causing some people to find a different way to get to and from work.

Meanwhile, on June 28th, 2011, Governor Dalrymple announced General Murray Sagsveen would lead the state's flood recovery effort - focusing on both the Mouse River valley and the Bismarck-Mandan area.