Sewage Plant Passes Latest Y2K Test (LA Times)

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By PATRICK MCGREEVY

Five months after a big sewage spill followed a Y2K readiness test in Van Nuys, a follow-up test was completed this week without any problems, officials said Friday. On June 16, nearly 3 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into Woodley Avenue Park from the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant during a test.

The test involved switching the plant over to an emergency generator, which could be required if year 2000 computer problems cause a power outage in the city. A sewer main was mistakenly shut, causing sewage to back up and spill into the park.

In a test Wednesday night, the sewer main gate was secured manually into the open position so there was no spill when the plant switched to emergency power, said James Langley, assistant director of the city Sanitation Bureau.

"We're in good shape for the new year," Langley said Friday after the test data was analyzed.

The agency was criticized after the June test for a long delay in realizing that sewage was leaking into the park.

As a precaution, the city put spotters in the park Wednesday night so that they could alert the plant if a sewage leak occurred.

As for the computer problem that closed the sewage main, Langley said a new computer system is being installed that will solve that problem. Another test of the Tillman plant is scheduled for Dec. 3.

He said a similar test at the city's Hyperion Treatment Plant has turned up a problem with the two emergency generators not working well in tandem, but that is being resolved and the plant should be ready for Jan. 1.

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What I find interesting is how long these 'repairs' have taken ... So much for fix on failure.

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), November 22, 1999

Answers

"...the sewer main gate was secured manually into the open position so there was no spill when the plant switched to emergency power..." And if your first FOF fix doesn't work, just get a bigger hammer.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 22, 1999.

LOL! Talk about a "rigged" test!!! Forcibly "securing" the gate that opened last time, dumping all that raw sewage?? "A new computer system is being installed that will solve that problem." IS being installed??!!!!!!

But, even though THE PROBLEM that occurred last time clearly has not yet been actually fixed, "We're in good shape for the new year".

Gawd.

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), November 22, 1999.

Residents of Van Nuys: Got hip boots?

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), November 22, 1999.

Just another example of how long it might take to fix something on failure. Are you ready for a 3-day shit-storm??

-- Brooklyn (MSIS@cyberdude.com), November 22, 1999.

L.A. would not allow another failed test, period. What ever steps were necessary to assure success were taken. Yet, there is no mention here of recent, real failures in sewage systems including several in the Huntington Beach area which went on for weeks, soiling beaches, as the cause was not easily found. Furthermore, there is no mention of the tests that have been postponed in other areas out of fear of creating another spill like the one in the Valley.

Yesterday, here in So Cal, high winds caused havoc with downed trees and downed power lines. Many were without power. One such downed power line, near USC in South Central, was exposed for over three hours waiting for the power utilities to come out and fix it. They were busy with other problems. USC dorms and students were affected by the loss of power.

Multiple, simultaneous or nearly simultaneous problems are the issue.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed but the very size of the infrastructure of a city like Los Angeles would lead me to believe that there will be problems. And, unlike an earthquake which may create massive failures in a relatively small geographic location Y2k could hit various facilities in different ways throughout So Cal from Ventura down to San Diego. And, unlike an earthquake, at the same time LA is suffering problems many of her neighbors statewide and throughout the country may be suffering difficulties as well.

Johh, "So much for fix on failure" is right! What will happen when resources are stretched and limited and time is no longer a luxury it is of the essence?

"There's something wrong in L.A." Y2k, The Movie

Mike

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), November 22, 1999.



SEWAGE BACKUPS

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 22, 1999.

Typical "test" results, when the results are "fixed ahead of time" -

How the H**L to they think they are testing a system's automatic responses when they "manually" open valves ahead of time.... You're right, the thing got the expected results, now, let's hope they can do it again when the real power outages and interuptions occur. This level of "emergency response" is why realistic, system-wide testing takes a long time and is expensive. There were other problems in the other plants - not ethe generator paralleling erros at the other sewage plants where two generators were required. Black starts, emergency and backup system operation, manual systems opertions, and emergency power supply paralleling and emergency startup's are NOT easy nor routine. They take time to practice and to complete correctly. If your local facilities - power companies, water, sewage, emergency services, etc. have not practiced them, they too will face these kind of problems.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 22, 1999.


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