Wallsburg reports chlorination event, SCADA alarms and continued work on water tanks

Wallsburg staff reported at the Sept. 5 council meeting that recent work on the town water system led to an unintended push of chlorinated, stagnant water into the distribution system, that crews have been flushing and dosing the tanks, and that the town is scheduling repairs to SCADA alarms and battery backup systems.

Town staff described the sequence that caused the issue: during work to bring a new upper tank online, crews were unable to pump water up the hill from the well and, according to the staff explanation, a mapping error and a missed valve caused chlorinated water from an upper tank to be drawn back into the distribution lines. The town opened hydrants and added measured chlorine doses (described by staff as a gallon per 25,000 gallons targeted dosage) to re‑establish disinfectant residuals and reduce the odor and taste problems some residents reported.

Staff said that the upper section is being chlorinated on a nightly basis while crews finish cut‑overs of a small number of meters. Councilmembers cautioned residents they may taste or smell chlorine for a short period and said the treated water is safe to drink. The council heard that the contractor pouring the tank top had recently completed work and that crews continue to coordinate final connections.

Council and operations staff also discussed continuing false alarms in the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system and a battery‑backup issue that appeared during a recent power outage. Staff said they had scheduled a technician (identified in the meeting as Chris Scott) to address the SCADA alarms and expected an invoice for the service. The council asked staff to evaluate the battery backup and replacement needs for remote telemetry and alarms.

No formal action was taken; councilmembers asked staff to continue coordination with engineers and technicians and to report back when SCADA repairs and the final tank cut‑over are complete.