“I have told (the Administration) if there is any assistance that they need through the OEM and Homeland Security, to reach out to me,” White said.
By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
With the start of the school year looming and the City of Thomas under a long standing Boil Water Advisory for high iron levels in the water, the City of Thomas and Tucker County have offered Davis-Thomas Elementary Middle School assistance in securing drinking water for students and staff. The topic has been the subject of discussion at several recent civic meetings and has been a concern of community members.
During a recent meeting August 13th of the Thomas City Council, Thomas Mayor Jody Flanagan said his office was working on assisting the school with securing potable water for the students and staff, though no specific plans were available. “We’re working on it,” Flanagan said.
Tucker County Director of Emergency Management Kevin White informed the Tucker County Commission August 14th. According to White, the current plan for the schools involved utilizing bottled water and potable water. “So right now they are planning on bottled water and potable water for cooking and everything like that,” White said. “Of course the water that’s in the lines can be used for flushing the toilets and all that kind of stuff. At the moment, the plan is bottled water.”
White said he has been in contact with the school administration regarding the situation and has offered the assistance of his office. “I have told (the Administration) if there is any assistance that they need through the OEM and Homeland Security, to reach out to me and maybe we can get something set up with that,” White said.
Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau asked White if there was to be a potable water station at each school for cooking water. White said that it was his understanding that was the intended plan. “That is kind of what I was wondering if that is what they were going to need. They hadn’t requested that yet, but that is kind of where we are at with that.”
The City of Thomas remains under a boil water advisory due to high iron levels in the water. State and Local Officials have been investigating the cause since the beginning of the crisis in late June, according to Thomas Mayor Jody Flanagan. According to Flanagan, preliminary results of the investigation has linked the cause to the severe drought in the area and while officials say there is no shortage of water for residents, the drought has caused the reservoir to contain high levels of iron that will dissipate with adequate rainfall and time.