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| Flood of 2008's Impact on Galesburg Among Big Local News Stories |
The City of Galesburg couldn't have been happier in the early part of 2008 to break ground on a new multi-million dollar water treatment plant, but it likely didn't expect it would have to contend with a flood that would almost completely take out the old plant first.
The city's water supply is the Mississippi River, and the city's water plant is in Oquawka. So when what many call the great flood of 2008 happened, it impacted Galesburg.
Galesburg officials, at first, issued a voluntary water conservation order, and a press conference broadcast live on WGIL. City Public Works Director Larry Cox used it to announce that more stringent measures were needed because of power problems at the Oquawka station.
"We're operating on an emergency backup generator," Cox said in June, 2008. "We will be operating our backup emergency wells in Galesburg starting right now. These wells are not contaminated, but these wells are not provided with adequate chlorine that will meet the Illinois E.P.A. standards. Therefore, effective immediately, we'll be under a boil order."
The city's other water customers in Abingdon, Knoxville, and East Galesburg also issued boil orders. Bottled water was brought in and provided to hospitals, nursing homes, and other agencies, and later to the public. The city-wide boil order was the first one city officials could remember, and lasted several days before being lifted.
The flooding itself caused plenty of damages to areas along the Mississippi River, especially to places like Burlington, Iowa, and Gulfport, Illinois -- so much so that portions of Route 34 in that areas were closed for a time.
Galesburg officials say, by the way, that the new Oquawka water plant expected to be finished later this year is on much higher ground than the current one, and may not have as much of a flood risk. |
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| 01 06 09 by Newsroom |
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