Published: Jun 28, 2013 | 21:09 PM

Williams Canyon 2010 Floods – Looking Back

The intense rainstorms of December 2010 flooded Williams Canyon a few days before Christmas, washing out a road and water service to many of the residents. What a difference a year makes. A recent visit to the area paints a different picture – water pipes were replaced, a new road was built and the sides of the creek were reinforced.

“I was super impressed how everyone came together and got it all back together so quickly,” said Dave Pedersen, IRWD Senior Director of Water Operations and Quality. “Restoring water service after an emergency situation is a top priority for IRWD.”

The flooding washed out a large segment of Williams Canyon Road, along with 700 feet of an eight-inch water main near the creek crossing. Additionally, a portion of 12-inch pipe near the Williams Canyon Pump Station was damaged. IRWD crews and Paulus Engineering began making repairs on December 23 once the flood waters began to recede. Repairs consisted of constructing two bypass water mains and restoring numerous broken water services.

Repairs continued over the next several days, placing many reservoirs back in service.  Water service to customers was restored by December 29. Customers were kept informed with consistent updates on the IRWD website, and through Twitter feeds and Facebook postings.

For more information about IRWD emergency planning and CodeRED, please visit the IRWD website.