5,000 households in Ogden deal with no running water during a harsh winter
Although Emerald City citizens have been generally aware of the dilapidated condition of our city's water infrastructure for a number of years, a substantial number of Ogden residents (5,000 households, perhaps) had the opportunity to deal with the problem up close and personal within the past few days, following the failure of an Ogden Canyon water main nine days ago. Here's a re-run of that news on this story:
The Standard-Examiner first reported the water main breakdown story on the morning of January 25, in an article entitled "Third of Ogden out of water".
Although Ogden City public works crews quickly responded to the site of the leak, we learned on January 26 that the repair remained incomplete, inasmuch as the trench containing the failed pipe and valve had at some point in time been (strangely we thought) "encased in concrete."
The following day, the Std-Ex reported that the earlier-reported "concrete encasement" had slowed the repair project down considerably. It was also in this same article we learned that it wasn't merely the water main which was "rotted out;" the control valve (once again strangely encased in concrete) was apparently "rusty". We also learned that the concrete which had apparently been poured around the leaky valve and pipe was, quoting the Std-Ex article... "an eight foot wall of concrete."
Ask yourselves, gentle readers, why anyone would pour a wall of concrete around a leaky valve in a 36" water main pipe? Never mind. We already know the answer.
It was about this same time that various schools and gyms in Ogden graciously opened up their doors, showers and commodes, for the 5,000 or so Ogden households who were getting a little bit ripe, shower-wise, and might have also needed to use the bathroom -- other than the one in their own back-yard.
Then, on February 1, we were informed by the Std-Ex that the water was back "on," although pipes and valves started blowing out downstream, due to the repaired infrastructure upstream.
How funny. The repaired leaky hardware upstream is increasing water pressure downstream, and blowing out other dilapidated pipes and valves which are also in serious need of repair.
Perhaps Blessed Boss Godfrey will appear everywhere there are leaks, and put his little magic finger in the dyke, heheh.
And then today, the Standard Examiner reports that the water isn't "quite" on yet. Maybe Monday.
We had a couple of thoughts about this; and we were about to wax on about it, until we stumbled upon today's Std-Ex letter to the editor by the inimitable Tom Owens:
Mr. Owens expresses our exact sentiments, in his letter today, with this.
And what say our gentle readers on this topic?
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22 comments:
Tom Owens is correct with his assessment of the rotting ifrastucture. Godfrey plays developers, and ignores the everday operations and services of the City. Godfrey has totally ignored the infrastructure and virtually all services that the City provides eith the exception of the economic development department.
I havent seen any footage of Godfrey and his fat assed administration helping distribute water or helping the citizens in this time of need.
By ignoring infrastructure and enriching developers, our "innovative" city government has simply followed the pack here in the good old USA.
Our economy has been increasingly based, for the past decade or so, on building houses and entertainment, while the factories are sent abroad. The rich have become richer while the working class incomes have fallen in real terms (because of benefit cuts.) Not to worry though, because the rich have lent their money back to the commoners to buy McMansions and speculate in stocks.
But most of the money has been loaned back to us by remarkably, the Chinese, the Arabs, the Japanese, and the Russians - together holding $3 trillion in US assets. The largest source of export income in Japan is now interest coming to them from US Treasury notes.
Now that it is all unraveling, the Fed has lowered interest rates to below the rate of inflation, to try to rekindle the speculative fires to burning.
Ogden, in the ineptitude of its government, is not alone. In fact, we are better off for one reason.
There are people here who have stopped or slowed some of the nonsense.
As we watch the financial apocalypse of 2008-9, we can be grateful at least, for the locals here in Ogden who tell the true story, and that they have a blog space to tell it.
On the water problems:
OK, Mayor Godfrey has been in office eight years and did, essentially, squat about the declining water system. Agreed. But responsibility for the water system problems has to be shared by previous mayors and by the city councils over the last twenty years or more. All of them have looked the other way and preferred to do nothing so they could run for re-election not having raised water rates or taxes.
I should also note, that it's the present city council that finally got off the dime, actually did the research necessary to make informed decisions, and acted --- finally --- to start fixing the problems [under pressure, true, of looming federal fines and penalties for not doing so]. Over the Mayor's foot-dragging objections, I might add.
So, shared blame on this one. Not all Godfrey's fault by any means. Nevertheless, since he likes as Mayor to take credit for whatever good happens in the city [as all Mayors like to do], he therefor has to take responsibility [or blame if you like] for the fact that the pipes are popping with depressing frequency of late, putting both the public health and public safety [fire control] at risk. So while not all of the buck for having done nothing over the previous eight years stops at his desk, the lion's share of it does, seems to me.
It would be interesting to see what a geologist says about the official reason given by the mayor that the problems are caused by "earth movements."
I believe that the building codes, which go back many years, are such that it would prevent minor movements from breaking pipes. It would take an actual earthquake with significant movement to do so. Did any one feel the earth move in that area lately?
Tom Owens is a fool who sits in his Farmington ivory tower and lobs spite filled accusations against our fine and dedicated mayor on a regular basis. Mayor Godfrey does more for Ogden each day than Owens has ever done in his whole life. If he is so concerned about Ogden why doesn't he move back here, roll up his sleeves and do something about it?
Some one should tell the dolt that the election is over, his side lost and he needs to learn to live with it.
Earth movement? If this was late April or May possible, but not in this January. Nothing has melted, what moved the earth? Because there was a hole? I wonder if water pouring out of a broken pipe might seek to go somewhere, and create a hole?
The truth hurts, doesn't it, O4O?
How long exactly have you been a midget worshipper?
Tom O. is an Ogden property owner AND an Ogden homeboy.
Can you say the same 4 yourself?
Well Curm, I have to disagree with you about Godfrey and his responsibility. He has done nothing, I know there were others before him, but I think that all of the problems have come to light during his reign. He is the man who is responsible for the day to day operations, as well as planning for the future, he has chosen not to plan for the future in regards to the infrastructure. He's the boss, when things go wrong it's his job to see things go right, he hasnt.
Lots of debt, and witholding information, that is his expertise.
Bill, the reason for the failures in the water system, and I think we all know, is not earth movement, the damn pipes are 70 friggin years old. Pipes dont last that long. I think you are right to question the earth movement scape goat.
Several years ago I saw color photographs of some of the water pipes and valves on public display at the City Water Dept. offices. Valves were rusty and encased in crud. It was obvious that upgrades were needed and that working on them in the best of weather would be difficult.
Godfrey started out as a slumlord and seems determined to turn all of Ogden (with the exception of his cronies' high adventure properties) into a giant slum. Should make him feel real comfortable.
Water:
We are, it seems, in agreement about everything, except this: I think that all of the problems have come to light during his reign. The need for significant maintenance and replacement on a sustained basis has been known in Ogden for decades. That Mayor Godfrey did zilch about the problems that began before he took office we agree about entirely. And so he must accept primary [but not exclusive] responsibility for the results of his inaction over his eight years in office. We agree on that too, it seems.
He's not responsible for creating the problems... Ogden's water system, sewer and storm drain system was well past its shelf life and in dire need of serious maintenance and rebuilding the day he first took office. But he's fully responsible for having ignored it all for another eight years.
I don't see where you and I differ much at all on this.
Just a couple of things I recall about Owens:
He has rented a nice house in Ogden to a non related senior citizen, for maybe 20 years now, and has never raised the rent because the person is on Social Security and could not afford an increase. The rent he could collect is many hundreds of dollars a month more than the twenty year old rate that he charges this senior citizen.
What would Godfrey the slum lord do?
Owens has been very generous with cash donations to the Marshall White Center and just last month challenged the readers of this blog to raise money for the Sub for Santa program. He matched all donations and gave $1,400 on this one time alone.
He donates many thousands of dollars every year to the poor of Ogden.
He donates generously to many political candidates in Ogden regardless of party affiliation.
He helps little old ladies across streets.
What do you for Ogden - "Ogden for Ogdenites"?
Zabo:
It is nice to hear that about Mr. Owen. But with respect to his qualifications to comment on Ogden public affairs in the public prints, or here, or anywhere else, it's irrelevant. If he's a property owner in Ogden, or a resident, he gets to put his two cents in. Just like the rest of us. If he was a penny-pinching misanthrope and stony-hearted landlord who snarled at children and was mean to puppies and kittens and grandmas, he'd still be fully entitled to his say in the public prints.
Nice to hear all that about him, though. From my experience with him, I'd be happy to have him on my side of a political contest any time. And be dismayed to see him on the other side, which would make it harder for my side to win.
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Owens is a political loser! He backed Glasmann and look where that went.
He backed Dirk Youngberg and he lost.
He backed Neil Hansen and he lost.
He then backed VanHooser and she lost.
He backed a guy in the Farmington election, and yep He lost.
If I were in a political contest I would be glad if he were on the other side!
Zero for Zero (040) -(great name BTW),
Winning isn't the point. Backing the candidate you believe will do the best job for their constituents is laudable. Tom Owens has my respect for what he's done.
O40...
I wonder if he backed royal Eccles, because he lost too. So is your point? I think that you are the loser for calling others losers and I wonder if you really live in Ogden or Washington terrace?
Ogden 4 Ogden
It is interesting how most people on this blog only look at one side of the issues. A very partisan crowd I must say. Curmudgeon seems to be one of the only ones here that is willing to concede, and discuss, "the other side of the story".
In reference to Owens you have only pointed out a small part of the story about his political activities.
For your edification I will fill in the few others that I am aware of.
Owens and his advertising company were very active in the marketing of the following Utah campaigns: Governor Leavitt in two election cycles, Senator Bennett, Congresswoman Green, Mayor Anderson and Congressman Matheson. All winners.
In addition he has supported the recent following winners on the local level: Jeff Hatch (SL County Auditor), Ogden Councilmen Garcia, Stephens, and Glasmann. Ogden Councilwomen Jeske and Wicks. Farmington Mayors Connor and Harbertson. Farmington Councilmen Young, Haugen, and Dutson, and Farmington Councilwoman Alder. All winners.
I have also heard that the list of winners that he has backed goes back many years here and in California.
If I were in a political contest I would be glad if he were on my side!
This mid winter drought is only the beginning. After lying little matty returns from hob knobbing high adventure style in Vegas, and get's his annual(not to be confused with anal) penicillin treatments, phase II of the decrepit infrastructure saga will soon begin.
It's quite possible that we might recieve record snow levels this year. Due to the world wide, and finally half acknowleged by george bush,warming trend, we could suddenly experience record high temperatures. All that water will have to go somewhere, and our storm sewer system is in the same sad state as our water delivery system. Our new high adventure downtown could become a kayak park for a couple of weeks. This may be great for paddle sports enthusiasts, but a nightmare for lower Ogden residents.
To get the real story on the Ogden City Waterworks talk to some of the old long time employees.
In fact, Rep. Neil Hansen was part of that history at one time. I'll bet he can tell you what he knows if you ask him.
When the Wall Avenue street improvement went in for the IRS renovation it was common knowledge that the old water mains were being buried deep underground to create many problems later on.
Godfrey knew all about this maneuver because he doesn't like to spend money on anything unless it can be seen above ground and preened about.
Cover the problem up - bury it deep - and gamble on how long the truth may be in coming to light.
There is a bigger front page crisis in the making. Most of the houses between 20th and 26th Street in the Monroe area were built long before there were any zoning requirements in downtown Ogden.
A house built on its own lot behind (East) of a house that fronts on Monroe has its sewer line emptying into the Monroe house sewer line.
The consequence of this is that the property owner of the Monroe property pays for all sewer plumbing problems that are caused by the sewer owner who is doing the emptying to the West.
That generates much ill will but it is also expensive because a lot of the owners to the East aren't at all careful about putting trash in their part of the sewer.
How would you feel about paying for somebody else's poop coming into your sewer line?
I wonder if Mayor Godfrey has alerted potential new comers to the area of that pooptential problem -
city has already spent 100% of its snow removal budget. city is about to approve an increase in the 2007-2008 budget. do you want to bet that none of that budget increase will go to the continued need for budget in the snow removal.
bet the budget increase money goes to business development and 6 months from now godfrey will cut our services somewhere else to pay for the overrun in snow removal.
council should divert some of that budget increase to fund the added snow removal costs this year.
Godfrey is the king of manipulation of the council.
I'll start with the Fire Department.
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