The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - While citizens of Dayton were in the dark during a power outage on Monday, Nov. 19, one of the three pumps that provides clean water for the city was failing, despite several safeguards to protect it, city officials say.

As to not put too much work on the one pump the city has left, it is asking citizens to conserve as much water as possible.

Water pumps in the city pump water from the ground water into a reservoir. The water in the reservoir is then distributed to customers.

The pump, referred to as well pump number one by public works Director Jim Costello, is the second of the three pumps to fail in the last two months. Pump number two went out about a month and a half ago when an oil well fell off of the pump and let the biodegradable mineral oil used in the pumps run into the water system, Costello said.

Costello assured the Dayton City Council last Monday that neither pump failure was caused by improper use.

"It's nobody's fault," Costello said. "Mother Nature did her thing (to pump number one) and we were on the end of it."

Costello said he has already talked to the city's insurance company and he hopes the cost to fix the pumps will be covered in full. No one at the city returned calls to the Times before press time regarding how much the pumps will cost if insurance does not cover the failures.

Costello said he discovered fried pump number one last Saturday morning and was unable to restart it. Costello said he got in touch with Dayton Electric and its staff members were able to check the electrical, only to discover that the problem is "down the hole."

The department purchased a new motor for the pump, which is being shipped across the country and should arrive by Thursday, Costello said.

If the new pump arrives on schedule on Thursday, Costello said it will need to be flushed and chlorinated. Water from the new pump will also need to pass bacteria level tests before it can be reconnected for public use. Costello said the new pump will hopefully come back up sometime next week.

Costello said repairs on well pump number two will take some time and not likely return to service as quickly as well pump number one.

Pump number two's motor is in Texas being rewound and rebuilt and the pump assembly is in Hermiston, Ore., where it is being examined.

"In the meantime, we have one water source," Costello said.

Costello urged the council to encourage water conservation in Dayton to help keep the only remaining pump working without being overtaxed. He said there are a lot of ways to conserve water, like not letting the water run while brushing teeth or washing fruits and vegetables in a pan instead of under running water.

"Things like don't run your washing machine or your dishwasher unless you have a full load," Costello said. "Don't flush your toilet unless you hellip; (you know)."

Well number three can pump 1,100 gallons per minute from the reservoir, so citizens will not notice a water shortage, but should still be conservative to keep from overtaxing the only remaining pump, Costello said.

"The only silver lining on this is that it didn't happen in July," Costello said.

Costello said the longer water can stay in the reservoir, the less the pump has to turn on and pull water up, taxing the system. Costello said everyone should be working to use less water anyway, so the conservative methods are good habits to form.

"We can all make a difference," Costello said.

Councilwoman Kathy Berg pointed out that some towns only have one well and don't have the luxury of falling back on a secondary or tertiary well.

"I always felt fortunate that we had three (wells)," Berg said. "And at this point, I really feel fortunate that we have three."