Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Binnie Myles

                                                                                          Birmingham Water Works

                                                                                                                        (205)244-4220

Birmingham Water Works operations at 100 percent after tornadoes

Electricity restored to pump stations, all assets fully functional

(BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Jan. 25, 2012) – During the early morning hours of Jan. 23, two tornadoes struck parts of Jefferson County, causing significant damage and power outages in the affected areas. 

Three pump stations in northeast Jefferson County lost power during the storms. Fewer than 100 BWWB customers experienced low pressure because of the loss of power to those stations. The affected areas include the Pawnee Heights neighborhood and the Paradise Valley neighborhood in Clay.

The two pump stations in the Pawnee Heights neighborhood regained power on Monday and power was completely restored to the pump station in Clay on Tuesday. Water quality was never compromised during or after the storm and no shortage of water supply exists. All water provided by the system is clean and safe to drink and all system assets are fully functional.

BWWB is committed to providing quality water to its customers at all times. The fact that 98 percent of BWWB facilities are below ground allows the utility to restore water service quickly during storm-related events. However, the availability of electricity in storm-damaged areas remains BWWB’s greatest challenge. 

“Birmingham Water Works has continued to invest in generators for treatment plants and critical pump stations to eliminate interruption of water service to its customers,” said Darryl Jones, assistant general manager of operations and technical services. “Millions of dollars have been spent for this type of redundancy with millions more planned for the future. This will support BWWB’s goal of providing quality water at a reasonable price, 100 percent of the time.”

Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Water Works serves 600,000 people in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St Clair and Walker counties.  For more information about your Birmingham Water Works Board, please call us at (205) 244-4000 or visit our web site at www.birminghamwaterworksboard.org.

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