When a North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) 72-inch-diameter treated water pipeline experienced a break Aug. 30 in a northeast Richardson neighborhood, lawn irrigation was temporarily prohibited and residents in Richardson and surrounding communities were asked to limit water use to drinking, cooking, showering and other essential activities until service could be fully restored.
Results of those efforts were immediately noticeable by City water managers, who expressed their deepest gratitude to the community for pulling together and
keeping City water towers filled to acceptable levels. Some residents also had to be without power to ensure the safety of crews working to repair the break, and their patience was also appreciated.
The water line was repaired and water service was restored Sept. 3 after crews from the NTMWD worked 24/7 to locate and repair the break. Several City departments
worked around the clock as well to keep the surrounding community safe, to keep residents informed and to keep essential water service flowing. The following is a
brief glimpse of the collaborative efforts made by City personnel during and after the incident.
Richardson Fire Department (RFD) personnel were the first responders at the scene, initiating rescue operations and coordinating the evacuation of 21 homes, utilizing
the Swift Water Rescue team. Additional RFD units initiated power cut-offs to the impacted residential area, evaluated gas meters for damage and leaks and coordinated with Atmos. They also helped with traffic control and securing the perimeter until the area was safe; worked with NTMWD and coordinated confined space entry for a welder to repair the line; and coordinated with Building Inspection and Oncor for safe re-powering of the neighborhood, which included performing houseby-house
safety checks for electrical shorts and any signs of fire as electricity was turned back on.
Public Services (specifically, Utility Systems Operations) was by far the most heavily involved department and staff worked around the clock throughout the response.
They coordinated directly with the District and continuously monitored City water lines in the affected area as well as system wide to ensure sufficient water levels. In
the aftermath of the emergency, Public Services has been working with Capital Projects to evaluate impacts to the City’s sewer and stormwater systems, and the Parks
Department and Public Services are working together on cleanup of the impacted area.
Richardson Police Department (RPD) units worked with RFD to block off areas for safety and then secured the area, maintaining a presence overnight both Aug. 30
and Aug. 31 until power could be restored to the impacted area. Dispatch coordinated response efforts from the time of the initial call until all RPD and RFD units
cleared the scene.
Communications staff updated the City’s website continuously throughout the five days of repair and kept the public informed through press releases and social
media posts. They coordinated with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in sending out messages via the Emergency Notification System.
OEM activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Aug. 30, and several departments including Fire, Police (including Dispatch), CMO, Communications and Public Services had a presence there for the first 24-48 hours after the break, as did OEM staff. The OEM activated a phone bank at the EOC with Health Department employees staffing the majority of phone bank positions. OEM staff also coordinated (along with Traffic) dynamic message board deployment (11 boards total) for water conservation messaging as well as emergency scene light trailers.
In addition, Community Services staff worked long hours contacting all Richardson apartment complexes to initiate voluntary water curtailment and worked throughout the community on code enforcement related to the mandatory water restrictions. The GIS Department worked to support all departments with mapping of the damaged area and infrastructure (including power and water lines).
