Water Authority seeks $1 million grant to fight terrorism
THE JACKSON County Water and Sewerage Authority will seek a $1 million state grant to fight terrorism.
Manager Eric Klerk explained to the authority last Thursday night that the Georgia Emergency Management Agency has $30 million in federal Homeland Security money available for local governments.
“Since it is grant money, not a loan, that got our interest.”
Klerk said the goal is to protect the authority’s 1,050 fire hydrants — or as many as it can get funded — from anyone who might try to introduce a toxin or chemical into the water system from a hydrant.
The money would be used for valves that prevent liquids from being introduced into the water system through the hydrants.
“It’s really backflow prevention that we practice throughout the system,” said Klerk.
With more than 450 miles of water lines spread across the county, many of the fire hydrants are isolated and, said Klerk, “in the middle of nowhere,” which would make them vulnerable to someone with ill intent.
He also suspects that one day EPD or Homeland Security might order the same kind of protection.
“This could become another government mandate and, if so, it would not be funded,” he noted.
With only $30 million available statewide, Jackson County’s chances of getting $1 million could be slim.
While the application does not require matching funds, it does ask what local investment would be in the project. The authority will propose a $50,000 expenditure of local funds, which can be in cash, project management or labor.
“Since it is grant money, not a loan, that got our interest.”
Klerk said the goal is to protect the authority’s 1,050 fire hydrants — or as many as it can get funded — from anyone who might try to introduce a toxin or chemical into the water system from a hydrant.
The money would be used for valves that prevent liquids from being introduced into the water system through the hydrants.
“It’s really backflow prevention that we practice throughout the system,” said Klerk.
With more than 450 miles of water lines spread across the county, many of the fire hydrants are isolated and, said Klerk, “in the middle of nowhere,” which would make them vulnerable to someone with ill intent.
He also suspects that one day EPD or Homeland Security might order the same kind of protection.
“This could become another government mandate and, if so, it would not be funded,” he noted.
With only $30 million available statewide, Jackson County’s chances of getting $1 million could be slim.
While the application does not require matching funds, it does ask what local investment would be in the project. The authority will propose a $50,000 expenditure of local funds, which can be in cash, project management or labor.
In a nutshell, the purpose is to prevent reverse flow through the hydrant. Fire hydrants operate under pressure, usually somewhere between 20 and 200 psi. That is why water shoots out when the valve is opened. But there are situations, situations that could be the result of malicious intent, when just the opposite can occur and water will flow back through the hydrant. A specially designed check valve can prevent this reversed flow.
If no check valve is installed and that reverse flow condition can be initiated by those who plan evil mischief, then there is opportunity for them to inject all sorts of bad stuff into the drinking water.
The check flow valve that the Authority wants to install is buried four feet underground – it’s hard to get at which makes it hard to tamper with. But there are no locks or other mechanical guards that must be released before firefighters can get water for fire fighting. It is completely automatic. The valve provides a full port, unobstructed waterway for firefighters to get the water. The hydrant is ready when needed.
The money for these valves comes from the government, so yes, it is our own taxes that pay for them. Homeland security has a cost, but I believe that it is better than homeland collapse.
Fire hydrants help fight more than fire. A hydrant that protects the drinking water also fights an enemy that would like nothing better than to bring chaos to the American homeland without having to face U.S. combat forces to do it. Contaminated water in our Homeland sounds like chaos to me.
Major F.C. Alke, USMC (Ret)
Chief Engineer
JCWSA
It would help if the Jackson Herald would do a little more backround investgation before throwing a story up.
There are thousands of these all over the country and there just waiting for a nutcase with an attitude to tamper with and hurt people...try reading this site BEFORE throwing up a comment http://abpa.org/faq.htm#5
a security guard for each of the water hydrants and it will be cheaper than 1 million dollars.
What's so hard about that to understand?
Thank you JCWSA for being proactive even if some idiots can't grasp the concept!
It gets worse every week.