Outage affected, but didn’t shut down state operations

Some state employees sent home

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Some Missouri government employees were sent home after Tuesday morning’s water main break in Jefferson City. But many other state employees work in buildings that were not affected by the water outage, and stayed at work as any other day.

“Only in buildings that are impacted, we have told our directors to use discretion and allow their employees to go (home),” said Doug Nelson, acting administration commissioner. “It will be ‘admin leave’ with pay.

“We (also) asked them to keep people around to answer the phone, deal with walk-in traffic and to assess the situation.”

Most buildings in the Capitol Complex kept at least some water service, Nelson noted, because “the Capitol Complex is on (Missouri American) water, but has a well system available."

But even that wasn’t a perfect solution.

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RobHunterJohnson 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Why do we have a 90 year old pipe on a Primary system? Rob

him 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Because the city would rather spend their money on things like a Convention Center.

online_editor 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Just to clarify: Missouri American is a privately-owned water company. City government doesn't operate a municipal water system.

him 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Thanks, So Missouri American provides the water. But who owns the system? who owns the water lines?

RobHunterJohnson 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Mo American water! Rob

RobHunterJohnson 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Thanks Rick, Mo American water is a private business, and what is their relationship to Jefferson City? They are our provider, They are in business to make money, but why should we put up with an antiquated system! I understand there are old mains all across town, but I am specifically refering to a 90 year old pipes at the source of distribution? How many more of these old parts and gadgets do we have in place for the next failure? Rob

TrueStory 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Well, private business is trying to make up the profits they are loosing due to taxation. They have bills to pay and the profit used to pay those bills are drying up for all business so they stop updating.

RobHunterJohnson 6 months, 3 weeks ago

True story, so it took them 90 years of profit, and a complete failure to fix it? What if there would have been a FIRE, or what if the part they needed was no where to be found after 90 years? It would be nice to no what, and how a this failure happened. We will never see it though. Rob

TrueStory 6 months, 3 weeks ago

I am just saying expect more in your future, as a business person, if your profits go down this is the first Moto: Don't fix what isn't broke....yet.

spelchek 6 months, 3 weeks ago

The Panama Canal is old and it works just fine. Rob, the infrastructure I would wager is American made, hence the 90 year survival rate. Replacing today might put cheaply made (China / Mexico) materials in place of the well built older stuff only to see it needing replacing more often as well as outages. BTW, it's hard to trust an unemployed posters opinion on how to run a business.

dokeus6 6 months, 3 weeks ago

It's also difficult to take someone's opinion seriously when they compare the Panama Canal with a 90 year old pipe that burst. That's like comparing apples to oranges but I guess that's what some people are good at by the way most of their posts read.

spelchek 6 months, 3 weeks ago

It's easy for people to miss the point, maybe you'll get it next time.

dokeus6 6 months, 3 weeks ago

I got the point of American craftsmanship is better than foreign. That point is not lost. I just felt that your comparison of the two objects was waaaayyy off. Like most of the posts I read is all I'm saying.

RobHunterJohnson 6 months, 3 weeks ago

I sure would not have wanted to be in that room when it burst! Rob

RobHunterJohnson 6 months, 3 weeks ago

You know what SPCK, when we put the boiler room into the Capital Plaza, the pressure on the line would be over 100 lbs psi in the morning, it may have even been more, after demand would go up it drop down to 90 in the day time, that was back in 1987. I sure they regulated it down as the job progressed, but the pressure sure was note worthy! That is about the lowest point from the water tower on West Main St! Like dokeus6 said with you comparing it to the Panama Canal, it is hard to take you seriously about anything? Rob

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