FRWA Emergency Response Efforts

Click below for photos taken on the Efforts of FRWA Staff in Louisiana.

Early on Monday morning, August 30th, as citizens along the coast of Louisiana were waking to view the devastation that Ida had left in it's wake, the staff of the Florida Rural Water Association was busy at the FRWA Warehouse loading equipment to take to the aid of systems in her path. FRWA will coordinate with Louisiana Rural Water in an effort to restore service. At first count there were over 200 systems without power, but sources say that they expect the number to rise to 300-400 in the next few days as communications are restored.

Early Tuesday (August 31) morning four FRWA staff members left with two semis loaded with generators to keep clean water flowing to the victims of the storm. The loads consisted of a 150kW Cummins generator, three 100kW Taylor Power System generators, two 100kW Cummins generators, and a 40kW Kohler generator. These generators are designed to handle electrical needs at water utilities.

On Wednesday (September 1) another crew of five left with a travel travel trailer and three 15kW generators, three 12kW generators, a 13kW generator, and three VFDs as well as other equipment to assist with the efforts.

As the emergency response efforts continue, more FRWA are set to relieve those in Lousianna on Sunday.  We will keep you posted as things develop.

FRWA is not a stranger to emergency response. We have been on the frontline of efforts dating back to 2004. We are now joined by a number of other Rural Waters throughout the United States to lend a hand when our neighbors need assistance.

On Saturday, September 5, four more FRWA staff members arrived in Louisiana to be briefed and rotated in.  These employees relieved the FRWA employees that were onsite last week.  At this time, all twenty of the generators that we took to Louisiana have been deployed.  It is now a lot of leak location and leak isolation to increase water pressure even in the largest systems.  We are not sure is there will be another rotation or just equipment recovery at a later date.

For more on the Rural Water efforts and to take a look at FRWA's newest generators, click here.