Westwood Boil Water Lifted

 Attention Westwood water users:

In consultation with Lincoln County Environmental Health, we are happy to inform you that the water in the Westwood Water System (PWS 41-00567) has been declared safe to drink again.

We are currently using two temporary storage tanks and have activated our backup well. With these provisions, we expect the water system to provide continuous service while the permanent reservoir is being repaired. Although the boil water advisory was issued as a precaution, all water samples drawn since it was issued have indicated no presence of E. coli or any other bacteria.

Thank you to everyone for your patience throughout this process. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office toll-free at 855-554-8333 or email us at info@hilandwater.com.

Sincerely,

Hiland Management

Westwood Update

Last week two small tanks were connected and put into use for temporary service while the large tank is being repaired. Unfortunately, the limited capacity of the tanks combined with the low yield of the well proved insufficient to maintain consistent water service to the community. 

We have been continuing to work toward restoration of the second well to supplement our pumping capacity and received lab results this week that indicated the water in the second well is still suitable for use. This week we reconnected the second well and installed chlorination treatment for it. The well was put into service yesterday and we believe it will give sufficient supply to keep the temporary tanks full with interruption to water service.

Due to the intermittent use of the large reservoir over the last week and the introduction of the second well to the water system, our operators do not recommend removing the boil water notice at this time. Our water samples have consistently indicated that no e coli or coliform are present in your drinking water, however. We will continue to take samples and are hopeful that the boil water guidance can be rescinded soon.

Thank you-Hiland Water

Westwood update Nov 3, 2021

Yesterday, two water tanks were delivered to Westwood for temporary use. Our technicians are constructing piping today that will allow us to fill those tanks. We are hopeful that they will be put into service and the old reservoir will be removed from service in the coming days. After that, water samples will be taken and once lab results show the water is safe to drink, we will notify you that the water is safe to drink again.

We are continuing to work on plans to repair the permanent water tank so it can be used when the weather warms up again. Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding.

Hiland Water

Westwood Water Quality Update

Last week, our technicians reported damage discovered in the roof of our water storage reservoir and requested that the water users be given a boil water advisory based on the risk that the water could be contaminated. Since then, we have worked to put together a plan to resolve this issue.


As water users were being contacted about the potential contamination, our technicians installed a tarp over the roof of the reservoir to minimize potential contamination and prevent debris from entering the reservoir. The sample taken from the water system that day, however, indicated that E.coli and coliform were not present in the water.


Repairing the reservoir will not be an easy project and will not happen quickly so we have determined that the most expedient way to remove the boil water advisory is to construct a smaller temporary storage reservoir for use until the roof of the permanent reservoir can be repaired. Once the temporary reservoir is in place, we will be able to remove the boil water advisory. It is our expectation that the repair of the permanent reservoir will be complete in spring 2022. That will allow us to clean the tank and put it back in service before the high demand summer season.


Additionally, we have been continuing our effort to increase the yield of our sources in anticipation of increased demand again next summer. We have removed the old pump and installed a new pump in the backup well, which hasn't been used in many years. It appears to have a stronger capacity than the main well, but initial lab results revealed some concerns about it's water quality. We have continued to rehab the second well's pump house and are further exploring the water quality.


~Hiland Water

Westwood Update

 Hiland has identified a significant leak in the distribution system.  We are working to make repairs as soon as possible.  At this time, we do not have additional information, but the repairs will likely involve a system shutdown.  We will share additional information as it becomes available.

Thank you

~Hiland Water Corp

Update:  Leak has been fixed.  We are optimistic this will help the system water supply.

Westwood Update

We are continuing to work on the water supply issues at Westwood. After our last update, the pump was pulled from the main well and the well was cleaned out by a well driller. Unfortunately, the work performed yielded very little improvement. Additionally, the water hauler that was scheduled to deliver water was unable to do so. We've begun working with another water hauler who successfully delivered 14,000 gallons today after running into various delivery obstacles. We appreciate everyone who has diligently conserved water during this time. Apart from the initial reduction in pressure after the well was down for maintenance, we have been able to maintain water service. The water available in the reservoir continues to be minimal, however.

At this time, we are conducting exploratory efforts to re-activate the second well. It is an OHA-approved source, but has not been used in many years. Our technicians are working to install a working pump and determine how much water the well will yield. We are also coordinating to retain a company that can send a specialized camera down the wells in order to evaluate the condition of the construction. It is likely that significant work will be required on one or both wells. Once the evaluations are complete, a plan will be made and communicated. We are working to ensure that water service will be maintained from the reservoir in the event that both wells are offline at the same time for evaluation.

Thank you again for your understanding.  As always, we will do our best to keep you informed.

Westwood Good News Update

We received confirmation this evening that the well driller will be cleaning out the well tomorrow, July 27, 2021. The well will not be operational while the work is being done, but we have arranged for approximately 2,000 gallons of potable water to be hauled in and pumped into the reservoir around the same time tomorrow. Hopefully you will not experience a service outage tomorrow, but there is a possibility of that happening while the well is down. Thank you again for your patience and understanding.

Hiland Water

Westwood Update

 As we continue to struggle with your water supply, we wanted to provide a brief update about what's going on currently. 

The well continues to produce water at a slower rate than it has in previous years, but it is continuously pumping and has not gone dry. Although we identified and fixed a minor leak in the distribution system on Wednesday, the demand of the water system has continued to outpace what the well is producing. We understand that more residents are now living in the community on a full-time basis than has been the case in the past and we are working to adapt to that. 

There is a well driller that has cleaned out the well in the past, which has increased the yield of the well. He has been retained to do that work again, but has not been able to commit to an exact date. At this time, he believes it will occur Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. The pump will be out of commission while that work is being done and we will provide as much notice as we can when we know exactly when the work will begin. Multiple other well drillers have been contacted in hopes that they could do the work sooner and none have been able to assist us. 

We have also been in touch with a local water hauler to provide short-term relief. Their capacity is limited and they do not have availability to deliver water until Tuesday. In the meantime, our staff is constructing a connection point and an exterior fill pipe for the reservoir so that it can receive water from a truck. Access to the reservoir may be difficult, but we are hopeful that water can be pumped from a water hauling truck into the reservoir if the need still exists.

In addition to the work happening right now, we are starting to formulate plans to make the supply more robust in the long-term and look into ways that our response to outages can be more effective in the future. We will work to communicate those improvements to you as they occur.

An email blast has been sent out to customers who have information in our data base.  If you would like your email added to your account, please email westwood@hilandwater.com with your account number.

We know these problems have lasted far longer than usual and we are so grateful for the patience so many of you have afforded us while we continue to work toward short-term and long-term solutions to the water supply issues we face.