Reader question: In the aftermath of the July 27 tornado, how was Neenah able to supply Menasha with water? Are their pipes connected?
Answer: The Neenah and Menasha water utilities maintain three interconnected pipes that allow one city to supply the other city with treated water in event of an emergency.
The damage caused by the EF-3 tornado unequivocally qualifies as an emergency. The tornado produced peak winds of 140 mph and left a path of destruction that extends 12 miles long from Appleton to Neenah, with the Menasha area being the hardest hit.
The Menasha Water Filtration Plant at 57 Manitowoc St. sustained severe damage, and there is no timeline for when the plant can be repaired or replaced to resume operation.
Menasha requested water from Neenah, and within two hours of the tornado’s passing, the three connections were opened so Neenah could supply Menasha with water.
“This is part of our emergency operations plan,” Neenah Water Utility Director Tony Mach said. “It’s something that we practice every few years.”
Fox Crossing sustained severe damage to its water distribution system on the east side of Little Lake Butte des Morts. The eastside system gets about half of its water from two wells, and the other half is purchased from Menasha Utilities.
The tornado knocked out the power to the well pumps, and it wrecked buildings and ruptured water lines in the Valley Road/Palisades Park area, causing the system to drain and lose pressure. In addition, Menasha closed its connection to Fox Crossing to preserve the integrity of its distribution system.
“The storm knocked out our backup generators for the wells, so we had no well production,” Fox Crossing Village Manager Jeff Sturgell said, “and we had no water coming in from the [Menasha] treatment plant.”
Fox Crossing also requested water from Neenah to supply its eastside system, and Neenah agreed. The water flows from Neenah to Menasha and then from Menasha to Fox Crossing.
“We let Menasha know that, ‘Yes, we have enough capacity, so if you want to open them up, go ahead,’ and they did,” Mach said. “We’re basically pumping up their system as well. My hope is that they have plenty of pressure.”
The loss of pressure in Fox Crossing’s eastside system is what led to the ongoing boil-water advisory. Without adequate pressure, there is concern that contaminants such as bacteria can enter the system.
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The advisory covers not only Fox Crossing customers but also Menasha, Appleton and Harrison customers who are served by the eastside system.
Sturgell said the power to the well pumps has been restored, and with the water from Neenah, the system is being recharged as pipe repairs are made.
Once the system is fully operational and pressurized, the water must pass safety tests on consecutive days.
Sturgell said he hopes the boil-water advisory will be lifted by Saturday or Sunday.
Who will cover the cost of the Neenah water pumped into Menasha and Fox Crossing hasn’t been decided, Mach said. The priority is to get water service restored to the affected areas.
“We will have that conversation later, when everything settles down,” Mach said. “We don’t want them to worry about that. They’ve got bigger things to worry about.”
Got a question about local government? Contact Duke Behnke by email at dbehnke@usatodayco.com or by phone at 920-993-7176.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Neenah keeps water flowing to Menasha, Fox Crossing after tornado
Reporting by Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent | USA TODAY Network
