* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] THAT SOUNDS HORRIBLE. IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS ONE? ? I BROKE IT. YEAH, I THINK YOU DID. I BROKE IT. SO I CALLED THIS MEETING, THIS JOINT MEETING, UH, SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL AND THE BAYTOWN AREA WATER AUTHORITY, UH, TO ORDER. UH, TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17TH. IT IS FOUR, UH, 4 48, UH, PM AND WE ARE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS. AND SO WE HAVE ONE ITEM TO [1a. Receive and discuss a presentation regarding the City’s After-Action Review of the February extreme winter storm.] DISCUSS, WHICH IS RECEIVE AND DISCUSS A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE CITY'S AFTER ACTION REVIEW OF THE FEBRUARY EXTREME WINTER WEATHER. SO I'M NOT SURE WHO'S GONNA KICK IT OFF. MR. CITY MANAGER? YES, MY PLEASURE. TO, UH, UH, OF COURSE INTRODUCE A FACE THAT NEEDS NO, UH, INTRODUCTIONS. AND, UH, IT'S BEEN ALMOST, UH, EXACTLY A MONTH SINCE WE EXPERIENCED A FREEZE THAT WE HAD NOT SEEN SINCE 1895. ONE SOURCE TELLS ME, ANOTHER SOURCE TOLD ME IT'S BEEN 122 YEARS, WHATEVER THE MATH IS, BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME. NOBODY LIVING, UH, TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THE BAYTOWN AREA. UH, WE PROMISED, AND WE ARE DELIVERING TONIGHT AN AFTER ACTION REPORT. IT'LL BE BASICALLY THREE PIECES. A, A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT EXACTLY, UH, OCCURRED DURING THOSE DAYS, WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IN ORDER TO HELP MITIGATE THOSE FACTORS, WHAT WE LEARNED, AND THEN FINALLY WHAT OUR PLAN IS GOING FORWARD. SO, UH, I WILL ALLOW FRANK TO TAKE US THROUGH THIS. AND AT ANY TIME DURING THIS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IDEAS, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO IS, UH, DO OUR VERY BEST IN PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN THAT WILL, NO PUN INTENDED, INSULATE US FROM THIS EVER HAPPENING TO US AGAIN. SO, WITH THAT, FRANK, THANK YOU. UH, SO GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, MADAM PRESIDENT, UH, COUNCIL AND BOARD. AS RICK SAID, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT OUR REVIEW OF, UH, THE INCIDENT, UH, CALLED WINTER STORM, YURI AND VIOLA. SO, FIRST, LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE, UM, AGENDA THAT WE HAVE TODAY. AND I'LL START BY DESCRIBING THE, UM, SUMMARY OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON, UH, THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN 14TH AND 21ST OF FEBRUARY. UH, SO THE STATE OF TEXAS EXPERIENCED TWO WINTER STORMS IN SUCCESSION, UH, THAT BROUGHT RECORD COLD AND ICE. UH, IT, UH, CREATED IMPASSABLE ROADS, UH, WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES AND WIDESPREAD WATER SYSTEM FAILURES. UH, JUST OVER 2000 WATER SYSTEMS HAD TO ISSUE, UH, BOILED WATER NOTICES AS A RESULT OF THE WINTER STORM EVENTS. AND IN TALKING TO, UH, OTHER SYSTEM OPERATORS ABOUT THE EVENT AND THINGS THAT OCCURRED, WE STARTED TO, UH, DEVELOP COMMON THEMES. AND SO I TRIED TO SUMMARIZE THOSE, UH, IN THE SUB-BULLETS THERE. UH, FIRST MANY OF THE SYSTEMS THAT FAILED WERE A RESULT OF LOSS OF POWER AND GENERATOR FAILURES. AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THE FAILURES AT, UH, BOWEL, UH, SO BOWEL LOST POWER, AND, UH, THE GENERATORS FAILED EARLY IN THE EVENT. AND, UM, IT WAS ONE OF THE TWO PRIMARY CAUSES OF THE, UH, WATER SYSTEM FAILURE. NEXT WAS, UM, THE INABILITY TO REFUEL GENERATORS DUE TO IMPASSABLE ROADS. UH, NOW BA HAS, UH, LARGE FUEL TANKS FOR THE GENERATORS. AND THANKS TO, UH, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH EXXONMOBIL, WE WERE ABLE TO GET REFUELED WHEN OUR NORMAL, UH, VENDOR FOR FUEL WAS NOT ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, RESUPPLY US. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF EXXONMOBIL, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A, A, A SUPPLY OF FUEL AND, UH, FOR NOT ONLY BIO, BUT OTHER, UH, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS IN THE CITY. UH, SO THIS, UM, DID NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT BIO BOAT. IT WAS A COMMON THEME AMONG MANY WATER SYSTEM OPERATORS. UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS, UH, THE CHEMICALS THAT ARE USED IN THE TREATMENT OF THE WATER PRODUCTION. MOST OF THEM HAVE THEIR FREEZING POINT NEAR THE, UH, FREEZING POINT OF WATER. SO, UH, WHEN WE GET, YOU KNOW, FREEZING TEMPERATURES, IT AFFECTS THE CHEMICALS THAT WE USED IN THE TREATMENT PROCESS. AND BIO WAS AFFECTED BY THIS. THIS IS ONE OF THE OTHER PRIMARY CAUSES OF, UH, THE FAILURE AT THE PLANT. OUR CHEMICAL STORAGE TANKS AT THE MAIN PLANT ARE NOT PROTECTED, UH, FROM THE FREEZING, UH, ELEMENTS. AND SO IT DID PRESENT ISSUES THAT WERE, WE WERE UNABLE TO OVERCOME DURING THE EVENT. UM, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE COLD WEATHER IS, [00:05:01] YOU KNOW, SLOWED PRODUCTION OF THE, THE TREATMENT PROCESS. IT SLOWS DURING COLD WEATHER AND COMBINED THAT WITH INCREASED DEMAND, YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DRIPPING FAUCETS COMBINED WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LINE BREAKS. SO YOU HAVE HIGHER DEMAND, LOWER PRODUCTION, AND THAT, UH, IN A LOT OF SYSTEMS RESULTED IN LOWER PRESSURE IN THE SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THEM TO HAVE TO ISSUE BOILED WATER NOTICES. AND THEN THE LAST ITEM IS THE INABILITY TO RESUPPLY CHEMICALS DUE TO IMPASSABLE ROADS. UH, THIS DID NOT AFFECT, UH, BOW DIRECTLY. WE HAVE ABOUT A TWO WEEK SUPPLY OF CHEMICALS ON HAND. SO, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE ENTIRE EVENT WITHOUT HAVING TO RESUPPLY CHEMICALS. OTHER WATER SYSTEMS DON'T HAVE THAT, AND DUE TO IMPASSABLE ROADS, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO RESUPPLY THEIR CHEMICALS. SO, JUST SUMMARIZING, EVERYBODY IS AWARE THAT THERE WAS WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO, UM, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES. UH, THERE WAS ALSO SEVERE IMPACTS TO AREA SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND INDUSTRY. UH, I'M MAINLY GONNA FOCUS ON THE BOWS MAIN PLANT TONIGHT. UM, BUT DID JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION FIRST ON THE BOWS EAST PLANT, WHICH, UH, AS ANDREA JUST PRESENTED, UM, HERE PREVIOUSLY, THE EAST PLANT IS NOT IN PRODUCTION RIGHT NOW. UH, 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE APPROVAL FROM TCQ, UH, SO WE'RE NOT ABLE TO USE THAT PLANT TO SUPPLY WATER. UH, HOWEVER, IT DID FARE BETTER THAN THE BIO'S MAIN PLANT. UH, ONE OF THE ISSUES THOUGH, WAS HIGH SERVICE PUMP STATION, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN USED TO PUMP WATER INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. UH, THE GAUGES FROZE, AND THAT CAUSED THE PUMPS TO GO INTO A FAIL SAFE MODE AND WE'RE NON-OPERATIONAL. UH, WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE OVERCOME THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY, BUT, UH, THAT WAS ONE ISSUE INITIALLY, AND THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ISSUE AT THE EAST PLANT. THERE WERE SOME OTHER MINOR ISSUES. UH, TRANSFER PUMPS DIDN'T START, INITIALLY, TOOK SEVERAL HOURS, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THOSE STARTED. AND THERE WERE SOME SAMPLE LINES THAT FROZE ON THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS. I WILL NOTE THAT THE CHEMICAL LINES AND TANKS ARE SET UP DIFFERENTLY AT BOW EAST. THEY ARE, UH, INSIDE AND PROTECTED. AND SO, UH, AND THE, AND THE LINES ARE MOSTLY INSULATED, SO, UH, THEY DID NOT FREEZE AS THE MAIN PLANT DID. BEFORE I GO THROUGH A TIMELINE OF EVENTS, I WANTED TO JUST TAKE YOU THROUGH, UM, A SUMMARY OF HOW THE TREATMENT PROCESS WORKS AT THE BOWEL MAIN PLANT, SO THAT WHEN I USE, UH, CERTAIN TERMS DURING THE, UH, TIMELINE, YOU, YOU CAN KIND OF HAVE A FEEL FOR WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. UM, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DRAW ON THE SCREEN, BUT, UH, IF YOU KIND OF FOLLOW THE CURSOR, IF YOU COULD SEE THAT, UM, ORIENTED HERE, UH, THOMPSON ROAD IS ON THE, THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN THERE. UH, WE'RE JUST NORTH OF I 10 HERE. UH, WE'VE GOT THE CANAL, WHICH IS, UH, BRINGING WATER FROM TRINITY RIVER, WHICH, UM, WE PUMP FROM THAT CANAL INTO THE FOUR BAY, WHICH HOLDS OUR RAW WATER. AND THEN FROM THE FOUR BAY, UH, WE TAKE, UH, WATERS PUMPED INTO THE HEAD WORKS OF THE TREATMENT PROCESS, WHICH, UM, I KEEP LOSING MY MOUSE HERE, BUT HERE'S THE HEAD WORKS OF THE TREATMENT PROCESS. IN THE HEAD WORKS, WE DO SOME BASIC SCREENING, UH, OF THE WATER, AND THEN, UH, INJECT CHEMICALS AT THAT POINT. AND THEN THE WATER GOES INTO THE SEDIMENTATION BASIN WHERE, UM, IT, THE, THE CHEMICALS USED THAT HAVE BEEN INJECTED HELP ALL THE PARTICLES THAT ARE SUSPENDED IN THE WATER COME TOGETHER. ONCE THEY COME TOGETHER, GRAVITY TAKES EFFECT AND THEY SETTLE OUT. AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED SEDIMENTATION BASIN. THE SEDIMENT ON THE BOTTOM IS REMOVED AND SENT TO THE SLUDGE LAGOON, UH, AND THE CLEAR WATER IS TAKEN FROM THE TOP AND SENT TO THE FILTRATION SYSTEM. THE FILTERS THERE AT THE NEXT STEP SENT THROUGH THE FILTERS, AND THEN IT'S PUMPED INTO THE, THE, UH, PIPES HERE SHOWN IN RED, WHICH TAKE IT TO THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS. UH, FROM THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS, IT GOES TO THE HIGH SERVICE PUMP STATION, WHICH PUMPS IT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. UM, ONE THING TO NOTE, UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, A CALL OUT HERE FOR THE PLANT WATER SYSTEM. THE PLANT WATER IS LOCATED NEAR THE GENERATORS AND THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS. THOSE TAKE WATER FROM THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS AND PUMP IT TO PART OF THE WATER. NOT NOT ALL OF IT, BUT JUST, JUST ENOUGH TO MIX WITH THE CHEMICALS. [00:10:01] IT SENDS IT TO THE CHEMICAL FEED AREA AND THE CHEMICAL BUILDINGS WHERE THE CHEMICALS ARE MIXED WITH WATER THAT CAN BE INJECTED AT THE HEAD WORKS. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE GROUND, STORAGE TANKS IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE PLANT. SO, IS THERE ANY QUESTION BEFORE I GO ON? OKAY. SO NOW I WANT TO GO THROUGH A TIMELINE OF EVENTS. UM, THE TIMELINE IS FAIRLY DETAILED, BUT, UH, I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED. AND, UH, THIS GIVES A, I THINK, A PRETTY ACCURATE, UH, DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE TIME BETWEEN, UH, EARLY MONDAY MORNING, UH, WHEN WE FIRST, UH, HAD FAILURE UNTIL WE CAME BACK ONLINE AND RESCINDED OUR BOIL WATER NOTICE ON SUNDAY. SO STARTING EARLY MONDAY MORNING, UH, AT, AND, AND ON THE TIMELINE HERE, I HAVE THE TIME LISTED AS A 24 HOUR TIME. AND THEN NEXT TO THAT TIME, I HAVE THE TEMPERATURE IN PARENTHESIS. SO, EARLY MONDAY MORNING, UH, ABOUT ONE 30, WE LOST POWER, UH, AND THE GENERATOR FAILED AND WENT INTO A LOCKOUT MODE. AND, UM, SO WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THE GENERATOR RESTARTED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. UH, IT WAS NOT UNTIL LATER, FIVE 40 IN THE MORNING WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE GENERATOR RESET FROM THAT LOCKOUT MODE. UH, AND THIS HAD BEEN AFTER WE WERE NOTIFIED BY CENTERPOINT, THAT THE, THE POWER LOSS WOULD BE NO MORE THAN ONE HOUR, BUT IT ENDED UP BEING MUCH MORE THAN THAT. UH, SO BY FIVE 40 IN THE MORNING, THE PLANT WAS STARTED ON GENERATOR POWER. UH, WE WENT THROUGH SEVERAL ITERATIONS OF PUMPS FAILING, SO THE PUMP WOULD START, WOULD NOT STAY ON, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO RESET IT. SO THE PERSONNEL WERE TRYING TO GET ALL THE PUMPS OPERATING, AND SO THE PLANT WOULD, UH, STAY RUNNING. UH, BY, BY NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, WE DETERMINED THAT THE CHEMICALS WERE NOT FEEDING. UH, SO AT THIS POINT, IT'S 18 DEGREES. IT HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, COLD OVERNIGHT, AND ALL OF THOSE EXPOSED, UH, PIPES AND THE CHEMICAL TANKS, UH, AND THE PUMPS, UH, CAUSED THE CHEMICALS IN THE LINES TO FREEZE. UH, SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FEED ANYTHING, UM, THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, RESULT IN TREATING, UH, MAKING POTABLE WATER. AND SO THE PLANT WAS SHUT DOWN BY NINE O'CLOCK, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON MONDAY, STAFF WORK TO TRY TO GET THE PLANT REESTABLISHED. UH, IT'S STILL BELOW FREEZING, UH, 18 DEGREES TO 22 DEGREES THROUGHOUT THE DAY. UH, WE BROUGHT IN HEATERS, UH, TRIED CUTTING OUT SECTIONS OF PIPE AND REPLACING THE PIPE. UH, WE DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES, SEVERAL ITERATIONS, STAFF WORK THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT THROUGH, THROUGH THE WHOLE DAY ON MONDAY, AND EVEN THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT ON MONDAY, AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO GET THE LINES TO WHERE THEY WOULD FEED CHEMICALS. AND SO WE COULD TREAT THE WATER, UH, BY LATER THAT EVENING, UH, SIX IN THE EVENING, WE RESTARTED THE PLANT. HOWEVER, WE HAD TWO OF THE CHEMICALS THAT WE DETERMINED WERE NOT CRITICAL TO THE TREATMENT PROCESS. UM, THAT WAS THE, THE CAUSTIC, WHICH IS FOR THE PH ADJUSTMENT, AND THE LAS, WHICH IS USED TO HELP, UM, IN THE DISINFECTION, ALTHOUGH CHLORINE IS THE PRIMARY DISINFECTANT. SO WE HAD THOSE TWO, UH, SYSTEMS THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO FUNCTION. HOWEVER, WE HAD THE OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, THE POLYMER AND THE COAGULANTS, WHICH WERE OPERATING AS WELL AS THE, THE CHLORINE. SO WE DECIDED TO RUN THE PLANT WITH JUST THOSE SYSTEMS BY LATER THAT EVENING. UH, THE POLYMER LINES HAD ALSO FROZEN, AND SO WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE PLANT BECAUSE, UH, THE POLYMER AIDS IN THE COAGULATION. AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO MEET OUR, UH, LIMITS FROM TCQ WITH TURBIDITY. AND SO WE COULDN'T PRODUCE WATER THAT WAS GONNA BE OUTTA LIMIT AND SEND THAT TO THE, TO THE SYSTEM. WE TRIED TO FEED, UH, CHEMICALS BY HAND. YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, CHEMICALS WERE NOT FEEDING. UM, IT WAS REALLY FROZEN, AND IT TURNED TO GEL. AND SO WE TRIED TO FEED BY HAND, AND WERE NOT EVEN ABLE TO DO THAT. SO, UH, STAFF WAS TRYING EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO TRY TO KEEP THE PLANT RUNNING, UH, LATER THAT EVENING. AND AT THIS POINT, EVEN THOUGH THE PLANT WAS NOT PRODUCING WATER DURING THIS WHOLE DAY, WE HAD WATER IN THE GROUND, STORAGE TANKS, AND WE WERE PRODU WHEN WE SENDING THE WATER INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. AND SO WE WERE BASICALLY, UM, USING THE WATER THAT WAS IN THE STORAGE, AND SO THE STORAGE WAS [00:15:01] BEING DEPLETED. NOW, ONCE IT REACHES A CRITICAL LEVEL AT ABOUT FIVE FEET, WE HAD TO SHUT IT OFF BECAUSE WE NEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WATER IN ORDER TO RUN THE PLANT. AND SO THIS WAS THE POINT ON MONDAY EVENING, UH, ABOUT 10 50, WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE PLANT BECAUSE THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS WERE AT A CRITICAL LEVEL. AND SO WE'RE NO LONGER PUTTING WATER INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. OKAY, SO GOING INTO TUESDAY, WE WERE STILL BELOW FREEZING, UH, SINCE SUNDAY EVENING. WE RESTARTED THE PLANT, ALTHOUGH WE HAD HIGH TURBIDITY, UH, STILL TRIED TO WORK WITH IT, TURBIDITY IMPROVED. AND WE STARTED, UH, BY FOUR 30 THAT MORNING, STARTED TRANSFERRING WATER TO THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS. THE LEVELS STARTED TO COME UP, HOWEVER, WE WERE STILL NOT PUTTING WATER INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. AND BY THAT POINT, THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM PRESSURE HAD DROPPED TO BELOW THE LEVELS REQUIRED BY TCQ. SO WE HAD TO ISSUE THE BOIL WATER NOTICE DUE TO LOW SYSTEM PRESSURE. UH, AT THIS POINT, ALSO, OUR POLYMER LINES, UH, FROZE AGAIN, AND WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE PLANT. UH, WE WERE ALSO AT THIS POINT TRYING TO GET OUR GROUNDWATER WELLS STARTED. WE HAVE FOUR GROUNDWATER WELLS THAT ARE USED IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THEY HAVE, THEY ONLY PRODUCE A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER. IT'S A TOTAL OF FOUR AND A HALF MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, WHEREAS OUR AVERAGE DEMAND IS ABOUT 14 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY. SO IT'S, IT'S ONLY A SUPPLEMENT. BUT, UM, WE WERE UNABLE TO START THESE BECAUSE WE HAD NO POWER AT THE, AT THE WELLS, AND THERE'S NO GENERATOR BACKUP AT THESE. ALSO, THE, THE CHLORINE SYSTEM AT THE GROUNDWATER WELLS WAS ALSO FROZEN. SO LATER THIS EVENING, THIS IS TUESDAY, LATER, YOU'LL SEE, UH, WE FINALLY REACHED 32 DEGREES AND CAME OUT OF THE HARD FREEZE FOR TWO DAYS. UH, AND SO THIS GAVE US A CHANCE FOR THE LINES TO START TO, TO THAW, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE PLANT AGAIN, FEEDING CHLORINE AND TURBIDITY STABILIZED, AND WE START REFILLING THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS. AND FROM THIS POINT ON, THE PLANT STAYED OPERATIONAL, AND WE WERE JUST WORKING REALLY TO REESTABLISH, UH, THE STORAGE IN THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS. AND THEN AFTER IT WAS ACCEPTABLE LEVEL, WE STARTED REESTABLISHING PRESSURE WITHIN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. SO YOU SEE, WEDNESDAY, UH, THE PLANT WAS OPERATING AND WE WERE FILLING THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS, UH, PUBLIC WORKS. AND B STAFF WERE, UH, WRAPPING PIPES, AS ANDREA SHOWED YOU EARLIER, DRAPING TARPS AND PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FREEZE, WHICH WAS COMING ON, UH, THURSDAY NIGHT. UM, AND OUR GROUND STORAGE TANKS HAD FILLED UP BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SO THAT WE COULD START PUTTING WATER INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. AND SO WE STARTED PUMP PUMPING WATER, AND THE WATER IN THE SYSTEM HAD BEEN DEPLETED. SO WE REALLY HAD TO START AT ALMOST ZERO AND TRY TO BUILD UP THE, THE PRESSURE WITHIN THE SYSTEM. IT TOOK QUITE A WHILE BECAUSE WE HAVE OVER 4, 450 MILES OF PIPES WITHIN OUR SYSTEM. AND WHEN THEY'RE DEPLETED, IT TAKES A LOT OF WATER TO REFILL THOSE PIPES AND REPRESSURIZE THEM. UH, I THINK WE DID A CALCULATION THAT WAS OVER, UM, 8 MILLION GALLONS JUST WITHIN THE PIPES THEMSELVES. AND AT THIS POINT, WE DID HAVE OUR, UH, POWER TO OUR GROUNDWATER WELLS. WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THEM INTO PRODUCTION, AND THEY WERE PRODUCING FOUR AND A HALF MILLION GALLONS PER DAY. LATER ON THURSDAY, THE PLANT KEPT OPERATING. AND YOU SEE, THE PRESSURES CONTINUED TO INCREASE DURING THIS TIME ON INTO FRIDAY. PRESSURE, UH, CONTINUED TO INCREASE OVER THE DAY. FRIDAY AT, AT, UH, THE POINT WE WERE AT 60 PSI, WE DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE GROUNDWATER WELLS AND THEN JUST GO TO THE PLANT, OPERATING AND FILLING, UH, PROVIDING WATER TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. BY SATURDAY, ALL THE AREAS OF THE SYSTEM HAD REACHED, UH, 35 PSI, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED FOR, UH, TCEQ. AND SO AT THAT POINT, WE TOOK BACTERIA LOGICAL SAMPLES SO THAT WE COULD PROVE THAT OUR SYSTEM WAS SAFE, AND THOSE WERE TAKEN TO THE LAB. AND THEN THE, THE, UH, TESTS TAKE 24 HOURS. SO BY SUNDAY AT, UH, ONE IN THE AFTERNOON, WE CONFIRMED THAT THE SAMPLES WERE NEGATIVE FOR BACTERIA, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RESCIND THE BOILED WATER NOTICE. THAT'S KIND OF A SUMMARY OF THE TIMELINE. UM, WHAT I CAN SAY, [00:20:01] THE, THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THE FAILURE OF THE PLANT WERE REALLY, UH, TWO, AND THAT WAS THE POWER LOSS AND THE GENERATOR FAILURE IN COMBINATION WITH THE PROLONGED EXTENDED COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES. UH, AND THEN THE, THE EXPOSED CHEMICAL TANKS, UH, SECONDARILY WE HAVE EXPOSED PIPES AND EXPOSED PUMPS, BUT I THINK THE FIRST TWO, UH, CAUSES ARE ONES THAT WE CANNOT OVERCOME DURING THIS EVENT. SO, UH, GIVEN THAT WE'VE PROPOSED SOME IMPROVEMENTS SO THAT WE CAN AVOID, UH, GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN, UH, IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'RE GONNA, UH, POST A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ON HOW TO RESET THE GENERATOR FROM A LOCKOUT. UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT OUR STAFF WOULD'VE, UM, KNOWN HOW TO DO. IT WAS SOMETHING WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, CALL THE GENERATOR TECHNICIAN. WE EVEN HAD TO GET TO A SECOND TECHNICIAN, UH, TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO RESET IT FROM THE LOCKOUT. AND SO, BUT THIS IS A PROCEDURE WE CAN POST ON THE GENERATOR, SO THAT IF IT HAPPENS, AGAIN, WE KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. UH, WE'RE GONNA REVISE OUR WINTER WEATHER SOP TO INCORPORATE A LOT OF THE LESSONS LEARNED. AND, UM, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID TO PREPARE, WE CAN INCORPORATE THOSE SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT IN THE FUTURE. UH, WE'LL ALSO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE CRITICAL PERSONNEL ON SITE. IN THE EVENT THAT TRAVEL IS RESTRICTED. WE'D LIKE TO MAKE, UH, SOME, UH, MINOR PURCHASES OF HEATERS AND TARENS THAT COULD BE USED TO WARM THE PUMPS. UH, THIS WOULD BE A MINOR COST AND INCREASE OUR STOCK OF REPLACEMENT PIPE. WE, WE DID HAVE SOME ON HAND, BUT, UH, I THINK HAVING MORE WOULD HELP US IN MAKING REPAIRS AS NECESSARY. THESE ARE VERY MINOR COSTS AND THINGS WE CAN DO IMMEDIATELY LOOKING, UH, LONGER TERM, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A, UH, DESIGN CONSULTANT COME IN AND EVALUATE EXACTLY WHICH SYSTEMS, UH, NEED TO BE IMPROVED TO HARDEN OUR FACILITY FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT. UH, SO LIKE I SAY, WE FEEL THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME GENERATORS FOR THE WELL SITES AND TO INSULATE THE CHLORINE FEED AT THESE SITES. UM, THIS WILL BE A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT COST. SO I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT, UH, WE WOULD, UH, APPLY FOR A GRANT, WHICH, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT GRANTS WILL BE FORTHCOMING, UH, FROM THIS EVENT. SO, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO A GRANT FUNDED PROJECT. UH, SO GENERATORS FOR THE WELL SITES, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO PROTECT OUR CHEMICAL TANKS. I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, AN IMMEDIATE, UH, OUR INTERMEDIATE PROJECT. UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO INSULATE TWO OF THE MOST CRITICAL TANKS, UH, AND PROVIDE, UH, WHAT THEY CALL HEAT TRACE ON THOSE, SO THAT THOSE CHEMICALS DON'T FREEZE. I THINK A HUNDRED THOUSAND WOULD GIVE US THAT PROTECTION BEFORE THE NEXT WINTER. UH, AND THEN WE COULD DO THE REMAINDER OF THE TANKS, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF A GRANT PROJECT, WE WOULD LIKE TO PROTECT ALL OF OUR EXPOSED PIPES AND, AND PUMPS. AND WHETHER THAT MEANS SOME PUMP HOUSES OR SOMETHING SIMILAR, I THINK THAT COULD BE PART OF A GRANT PROJECT IN THE EVENT THERE'S ANOTHER EXTREME EVENT. THOSE SYSTEMS COULD BE PROTECTED WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATE ACTIONS SUCH AS WHAT WE DID IN THIS, THIS SCENARIO. UH, BEFORE I CLOSE, I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMEND OUR STAFF FOR THE REALLY, UH, HARD WORK THEY PUT IN THE DEDICATION. I HAD SEVERAL STAFF MEMBERS WHO, UH, WERE THERE FROM SUNDAY, UH, WORKED WITHOUT SLEEP UNTIL TUESDAY EVENING, UH, IN BITTER COLD, UH, OUTSIDE THE WHOLE TIME. UH, IT WAS TREMENDOUS DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT ON THEIR PART, AND REALLY HAVE TO COMMEND THEM FOR THAT. THEY STAYED THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE, UH, EVENT FROM SUNDAY TILL SUNDAY. AND, UH, IT WAS VERY DRAINING. BUT, UM, REALLY HAVE TO ADMIRE THEIR, THEIR COMMITMENT. UH, THE, THE TEAMWORK THEY DISPLAYED. EVERYBODY REALLY CAME TOGETHER AND, UH, PITCHED IN WHERE NEEDED. AND IT, IT REALLY WAS A, UM, SHINING EVENT FOR OUR STAFF. SO, UH, HAVE TO COMMEND THEM BEFORE I CLOSE. AND I WILL CLOSE NOW AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE. OKAY. SO, AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING AUGUSTA PRESENTATION, UM, I WILL, UH, LET'S START WITH OUR BOB BOARD AND MS. SMITH, OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO FIRST, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, AND ASK MY BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE ONE [00:25:01] QUESTION. UM, CAN WE GO AHEAD AND EXPEND THE MONEY FOR WHAT YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE DONE, THEN REIMBURSE OUR COFFERS WHEN THE GRANTS ARE FUNDED, AS OPPOSED TO WAITING TO DO THE WORK UNTIL WE GET THE GRANTS. DOES THAT MAKE LIKE ADVANCED BUDGET SENSE? ADVANCED FUND WITH A REIMBURSEMENT CLAUSE? YES. I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD, I WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO OUR GRANT COORDINATORS. UH, I DON'T THINK GRANTS, THE GRANTS THAT WE TYPICALLY APPLY FOR NORMALLY WOULD, UM, ALLOW FOR OUR REIMBURSEMENT. RIGHT. OKAY. BUT I, I COULD CHECK WITH OUR GRANT COORDINATORS AND CLARIFY. THAT WOULD JUST BE MY SUGGESTION. IF IT CAN BE DONE, GREAT. IF IT CAN'T RIGHT. WE'RE CONSTRAINED TO DO IT THE OTHER WAY. OKAY. GOOD QUESTION. SO, YOU KNOW, WEREN'T THE GENERATORS AT THE, AT THE BEAST DIDN'T, WEREN'T THEY FAIRLY DUE LIKE WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS? I THOUGHT THOSE WERE FAIRLY DUE GENERATORS AT, AT BOW EAST. WELL, WHERE YEAH. THE MAIN PLANT. AT THE MAIN PLANT. UM, SO, UH, I WAS TOLD THEY'RE, THEY'RE FROM 2011. WE DO HAVE A SERVICE CONTRACT. THEY ARE PROPERLY MAINTAINED. UH, THEY WERE SERVICED, UH, TWO TIMES IN 2020. THE LAST TIME WAS IN OCTOBER. UM, AND IT'S, THE GENERATORS ARE RUN EVERY WEEK FOR TWO HOURS. SO, UH, SO EXPLAIN, HOW DID THEY NOT WORK THOUGH, WHEN THE, SO WHAT I'M, UH, I'M NOT A GENERATOR EXPERT, BUT I'M TOLD THE, UM, WHAT I TOLD HAPPENED THE TRANSFER SWITCH FAILED. AND SO WHEN THE GENERATOR WHEN LOST POWER, THE, THE GENERATOR NOTED THAT THE POWER WAS LOST. AND IT TRIED TO START. UH, AND WHAT THEY TOLD ME IS WHEN IT TRIED TO START, IT MAY HAVE SEEN THAT THE POWER CAME ON TEMPORARILY. AND IT, UM, SO IT SENSED THE POWER AND SO IT TRIED TO SHUT OFF AGAIN. AND DURING THAT PROCESS, IT TRIPPED IT TO WHERE IT COULDN'T BE RESTARTED, IT HAD TO BE RESET. AND SO THE, THAT PROCESS OF RESETTING IT, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO. OKAY. SO HOW DID THE GENERATORS AT THE, AT THE EAST PLANT WORK? THE EAST PLANT, UH, GENERATORS OP OPERATED PROPERLY. SO THEY LOST POWER. AT ONE POINT THE GENERATORS CAME ON AND THEY OPERATED. SO WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR REVIEW, ARE Y'ALL GONNA LOOK AT BUILDING NEW WATER TOWERS AS WELL? IS THAT GONNA FACTOR INTO IT? YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT, THAT SURPLUS WATER TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM? SINCE OUR, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY WE HAVE MORE STORAGE THAN IS REQUIRED. UH, I THINK WE HAVE AMPLE STORAGE. UM, BUT SINCE THE SYSTEM WAS DOWN FOR SO LONG, IT, WE'RE NOT EQUIPPED TO STORE FOR THAT LONG. I MEAN, STORAGE IS, WE CURRENTLY REALLY, UM, NEED TO HAVE OUR GROUND STORAGE TANKS REPLACED. THERE WAS A PROJECT, UH, A YEAR OR TWO AGO TO REPLACE THEM. UH, WE DID EVALUATION. UH, WE WERE SHORT ON FUNDS AND SO WE DECIDED TO PUSH THAT OUT. SO THAT'S STILL A PROJECT THAT WILL COME TO THE BOW BOARD IN NEXT YEAR OR TWO TO START REPLACING THE GROUND STORAGE TANKS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S NOT CHEAP. SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT REPLACING THE ONES WE HAVE, UH, BEFORE WE ADD CAPACITY. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE TOWERS, THOUGH. UM, THOSE AS WELL. I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF OUR TOTAL SYSTEM CAPACITY. UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANNED RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, I HAVE ONE QUESTION. UM, YOU SAID AT THE OUTSET THAT, UH, YOU WERE INITIALLY NOTIFIED THAT THE POWER OUTAGE WOULD BE FOR ONE HOUR, APPROXIMATELY. YES, MA'AM. AND SO IN THE FINAL, UH, TALLY, HOW MANY HOURS WAS THE, UH, POWER OUTAGE? I THINK IT WAS OVER A DAY. UM, BECAUSE ONCE WE GOT THE GENERATOR RUNNING, UH, WE DECIDED TO KEEP THE PLANT ON GENERATOR POWER UNTIL THAT FOLLOWING WEEKEND. SO WE KEPT IT ON GENERATOR POWER. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK IT GOING OFF AND THEN NOT BEING ABLE TO RESTART IT. SO ONCE WE GOT IT STARTED, WE KEPT A PLAN ON GENERATOR POWER THE WHOLE WEEK. RIGHT. THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION. I WAS LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE AND THINKING WELL, AND, AND WE WERE GIVEN NO ADVANCE. WE WERE GIVEN NO ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE POWER GOING OUT EITHER. ALRIGHT. SO I, I THINK IT WAS OFF FOR OVER A DAY. BUT, UH, WE HAD THE GENERATOR ESTABLISHED, UH, LATER THAT MORNING, MONDAY MORNING, AND WE JUST KEPT THE GENERATOR RUNNING BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO REFUEL. UM, OKAY. UH, HOW ABOUT COUNSEL? IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS REGARDING [00:30:01] THIS OUTAGE? I'VE GOT A COUPLE THINGS. UM, WE, UH, WHERE I WORK, WE HAVE A LOT OF GENERATORS TOO, FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. MM-HMM . UM, AND WE HAVE FOUND RECENTLY THAT SAME THING HAPPENS, RIGHT? YOU RUN YOUR GENERATOR WEEKLY, MONTHLY, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, BUT YOU NEVER REALLY TEST THE VOLTAGE. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S FIXING THE VOLTAGE, KICKING THE GENERATOR ON, AND ACTUALLY MAKING THE TRANSFER. AND SO WE'VE IMPLEMENTED, UM, PMS, IT'S NOT AS OFTEN, IT'S NOT WEEKLY, BUT AT SOME INTERVAL WE WILL INTENTIONALLY JUST TURN THE POWER OFF AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. UM, SO DO YOU THINK, UM, WE ACTUALLY DID THAT ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2020. OKAY. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THE, WE TOOK, UH, PUT THE PLANT UNDER GENERATOR LOAD. OKAY. SO IS THAT ANNUALLY OR, UM, I DUNNO. QUARTERLY. IT'S QUAR QUARTERLY. OKAY. THAT'S VERY GOOD. OKAY. UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION I GOT FROM A CONSTITUENT TODAY. WHEN, WHEN HE SAW THIS MEETING WAS HAPPENING, UM, HE HAD HEARD RUMORS. I, I CAN'T SAY I'VE EVER HEARD THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS IT IN CASE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HEARD THE, THE SAME RUMORS. UM, HE JUST SAID WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT WATER FACILITIES AROUND THE AREA THAT ALL HAPPENED TO GO DOWN AT THE SAME TIME, HE'D HEARD THAT, UH, AT A HIGHER LEVEL, COUNTY, STATE, WHATEVER, THEY BASICALLY TOLD PLANTS JUST TO SHUT DOWN. UM, SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, IF THAT'S WELL BEING. I, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR BIO RIGHT. AND, UH, BAYTOWN, BUT THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO ADDRESS IT. AND, AND TALKING TO OTHER OPERATORS, LIKE I SAY, I, ON THE, UH, SLIDE I HAD, UH, WITH THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE LOSS OF POWER GENERATOR FAILURES, UH, IMPASSABLE ROADS, INABILITY TO RESUPPLY FUEL AND CHEMICALS, AND THE CHEMICAL, UH, STORAGE THAT, THAT FROZE. THAT, THAT WAS THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES. A LOT OF THEM ALSO HAD, YOU KNOW, UH, I KNOW SYSTEMS THAT THEY DIDN'T LOSE THEIR PLANT CAPACITY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED DEMAND AND THE UH, UH, LOWER, UH, PRODUCTION, IT JUST LOST PRESSURE OVER TIME BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH AN EXTENDED EVENT. SO THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENED TO OTHER FACILITIES AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. BUT WE, WE, WE WERE NEVER GIVEN DIRECTION TO SHUT DOWN OUR PLANTS. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND IF YOU HAD BEEN, YOU WOULD'VE SAID . NO. . WE WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT. NO. RIGHT. I DON'T NEED THE DIRECTION. SORRY. WE, WE, WE DO TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY. UH, IT IS OUR, YOU KNOW, PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND, AND OUR CUSTOMERS. AND, UM, IT, IT WAS VERY HARD FOR US NOT TO PROVIDE WATER SERVICE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT. OKAY. ANY ELSE? YES, MS. LESTER? A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND, AND A QUESTION, UM, I WANT TO LEAD OFF WITH, I, I AGREE WITH FRANK, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HERE ON THIS D VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THE, THE PUBLIC WORKS IN BAWA STAFF OR JUST THE UNSUNG HEROES, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT TO THE SEWER DEPARTMENT TO DRAINAGE, THOSE GUYS ARE JUST TREMENDOUS. SO DON'T TAKE ANY STATEMENT I HAVE AS A NEGATIVE REFLECTION ON THEM, PLEASE. OKAY. UM, IF ANYTHING, WE, WE'VE KIND OF LET THEM DOWN A LITTLE BIT. 'CAUSE THEY ALWAYS STEP UP WHEN SOMETHING HITS THE FAN. AND I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN POWELL KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT. WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE EXERCISING THESE GENERATORS, YOU SAID ONCE A WEEK OR ONCE OR ONCE EVERY OTHER WEEK? ONCE, ONCE A WEEK. ONCE A WEEK. WE RUN IT FOR TWO HOURS. DO WE PUT 'EM UNDER LOAD OR IS THAT JUST ON A QUARTERLY BASIS? I BELIEVE THAT'S JUST THE QUARTERLY BASIS. YEAH. THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'M, I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT IF, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RUN THE, YOU CAN RUN THE ENGINES AND THEY RUN FINE MM-HMM . BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY TRIGGER IT RIGHT. TO PUT IT UNDER LOAD, SOMETHING ALWAYS GIVES MM-HMM . SOMETIMES IT'S TRANSFER SWITCH MM-HMM . SOMETIMES IT'S NOT. SO I'D RECOMMEND DOING THAT A LITTLE MORE OFTEN. YES, SIR. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, AGAIN, I KNOW THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION YEP. POWER'S OUT. IT'S NOT COMING BACK. UM, CENTER POINT'S NOT REAL FORTHCOMING WITH SOME OF THAT, BUT BEFORE THE EVENT HIT, THEY WERE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT ROLLING BROWN OUTS. CORRECT. SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE WHY DID WE FIRE THOSE GENERATORS UP EARLY? WELL, AND, AND IF WE'D HAVE FIRED 'EM UP ON SATURDAY AND KNOWN THAT THE TRANSFER WAS, IS BROKEN, WE COULD'VE HAD IT UP OUR OPERATION. IT IT WOULD HAVE. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE RISK OF, UH, RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S, THAT GOT A BIG FUEL DEPO RIGHT OVER HERE. THEY BRING US ALL WE NEED. WELL, LIKE I SAY IT HINDSIGHT IS 2020 AND YEAH. YOU, YOU HAVE RISKS ON BOTH SIDES. IF YOU JUST RUN YOUR GENERATOR AND, AND YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO REFUEL, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU'VE LOST THAT BACK CAPACITY. YOU LOST CAPACITY. YEAH. AND, AND THAT WAS JUST, THAT'S [00:35:01] THE QUESTION I HAD IS, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING, WHY DIDN'T WE FIRED UP EARLY? UM, AGAIN, I I HEARD IT. WELL, IT COSTS A LOT TO RUN THOSE GENERATORS. WHAT DOES IT COST TO LOSE WATER TO A CITY FOR A WEEK? THAT WAS NEVER A CONSIDERATION. COST THING. YEAH. IT'S A, IT'S A SOFT COST THING. AND, AND THEN FROM THERE IT'S A DOMINO EFFECT. YOU KNOW, YOU LOSE POWER, YOU LOSE CIRCULATION, YOU LOSE PRESSURE, THEN IT'S A DOMINO EFFECT THING START FREEZING UP. SO THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. AND, AND THERE'S JUST NO WAY TO RECOVER. A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND JUST HOW LARGE THAT PLANT IS AND, AND THE IDEA OF, WELL WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO OUT AND INSULATE THE CHEMICAL LINES? WELL, THERE'S SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF IT, BUT IT'S JUST NOT QUITE THAT SIMPLE. WELL, WE, WE CAN INSULATE THE LINES. YEAH. BUT IT'S THE TANKS. YEAH. THAT, UM, SO, SO THAT, THAT'S KINDA UNDERSTANDABLE. UM, THE SOPS AS FAR AS THE LOCKOUT, I, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA POST THOSE, BUT I WOULD'VE ASSUMED THAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN PART OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES FOR THAT PLANT TO BEGIN WITH. IT, IT HAS NOT BEEN A, SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ANTICIPATED HAPPENING. YEAH. SO, AND AGAIN, THE, THE POWER ISSUE COULD HAPPEN WHETHER IT'S A WINTER STORM RIGHT. OR A HURRICANE OR ANYTHING ELSE. SO. CORRECT. I'M, I'M LOOKING AT FROM AN ASPECT OF ANYTIME WE HAVE A MAJOR CATASTROPHIC EVENT, WHEN, YOU KNOW, POWER IS CRITICAL. UH, WE LEARNED THAT, I THINK IT WAS IKE, IT WAS SOMETIME AFTER THAT, THAT WE GOT THE BIG GENERATORS. WE PUT GENERATORS AND I WAS KIND OF CAUGHT OFF GUARD THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE GENERATORS AT THE WELLS OR AT LEAST SOME TEMPORARY ABILITY TO GENERATE POWER THERE. WE, WE PUT GENERATORS ON OUR LIFT STATIONS ALL OVER TOWN MM-HMM . AND WE FORGOT THE WATER WELLS. UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D SUPPORT, MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T I AGREE. HAVE THAT PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. YEP. UM, FRANK IS GREAT PRESENTATION. IT ANSWERS A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE IT. AND AGAIN, I JUST KUDOS TO, TO YOU AND THE PUBLIC WORKS BALL WITH STAFF. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE OUT THERE. YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M CUDDLED UP AT HOME, I'M COMPLAINING 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE WATER AND I'M COLD, BUT I'M NOT OUT IN THE WEATHER FIGHTING IT AND TRYING TO GET THE THING WORKING AGAIN. AND I KNOW THOSE GUYS DID A HERCULEAN JOB, SO I APPRECIATE IT, SIR. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT, MAYOR. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. YES. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WORK IN THAT TYPE OF WEATHER WITH THOSE CHEMICALS AND WATER. UM, FEW QUESTIONS I HAVE. WE RAN, WHEN DID WE RUN OUT OF FUEL? UH, WE DIDN'T RUN OUT OF FUEL. WE GOT A DONATION FROM, FROM, UH, EXXON, BUT WE DIDN'T RUN OUT OF FUEL. OKAY. SO WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL FOR THEM TO RUN IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE KICKED ON. YES, SIR. THEY, WE, WE DID RUN IT UHHUH FROM MONDAY MORNING UNTIL THE WEEKEND, LIKE SATURDAY. WE RAN IT FOR THE WHOLE WEEK. OKAY. WELL, GOING BACK TO WHAT COUNCILMAN LESTER HAD SAID, I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN A GREAT IDEA TO GO AHEAD AND KICK 'EM ON AHEAD OF TIME IF WE RAN THEM FOR THAT MANY DAYS. UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THEY, THEY RUN ON A FULL TANK OUTSIDE OF STORAGE, BUT IT PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN EASIER TO HAVE THOSE THINGS ON AND THEN HAVE A DONATION. SOME FUEL COME IN, UM, SOME VALVES BROKE. AM AM I RIGHT? YES, SIR. IS THERE A VALVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM? UM, AND ARE THE VALVES LOOKED AT ON A QUARTERLY BASIS TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF CONDITION THEY'RE IN? WELL, BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY, WELL THE VALVES THAT BROKE WERE BROKE BECAUSE THEY FROZE AND THEY WERE, SOME OF THE OPERA OPERATION OF THE VALVES BROKE DURING THE, THE EVENT. OKAY. WELL THE OTHER QUESTION I'M GONNA HAVE, THOSE VALVES MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY OLD IF THEY BROKE WHEN THEY FROZE, THEY, THEY ARE. ALRIGHT. AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AND KEEPING TRACK OF THAT. YES. SO IF A, IF A GENERATOR DOESN'T GET US, WE DON'T WANT ME, ME MECHANICAL REASONS TO BE THE REASON THAT WE CAN'T GET WATER, BECAUSE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN JUST TERRIBLE IF EVERYTHING ELSE WORKED, BUT A HAND VALVE BROKE, UM, I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT DOING A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR THE, WELL, NOT EVEN THE PIPES, JUST THE VALVES, JUST TO OKAY. LOOK AT 'EM QUARTERLY. YEAH. HAVE 'EM INSPECTED. GOING BACK TO THE GRANTS, IF THOSE GRANTS AREN'T AVAILABLE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OR BEFORE WINTER COMES, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND SOME MONEY TO GET SOME OF THESE THINGS TAKEN CARE OF. INSULATING PIPES GOES A LONG WAY. MM-HMM . UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE DID PURCHASE HEATERS. I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD GO OUT AND PURCHASE MORE HEATERS, TARPS, JUST TO KEEP THE AREAS A LITTLE BIT WARMER. OKAY. AND THEN GOING BACK TO THOSE CHEMICALS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US SPEND THE MONEY TO IMPROVE THE STORAGE [00:40:01] PLACES WHERE WE KEEP OUR CHEMICALS. THEY, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY REASON WHY WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE THEM TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED. THAT'S IT. YEAH. UM, OTHER THAN THAT, DO WE HAVE A WINTERIZATION PROGRAM? UH, NOT CURRENTLY. I, I'M PROPOSING TO START A WINTERIZATION PROJECT AND THAT'S GONNA BE THIS YEAR, HOPEFULLY. YES SIR. GOOD DEAL. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF YOURSELF FOR THE JOB THAT Y'ALL DID. UM, WHEN I HEARD THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY TRYING TO POUR THE CHEMICALS IN BY HAND, I APPLAUD THEM FOR THAT. 'CAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE OUT IN NET WEATHER WITH THOSE CHEMICALS. RIGHT. UM, AND NOT BE AT HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES. I WAS ABLE TO BE AT HOME WITH MY FAMILY, SOME THANK YOU TO THEM FOR AND TO THEIR FAMILIES FOR ALLOWING THEM TO BE THERE TO BE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET WATER AND HAVE SOME SENSE OF, UM, STABILITY IN THE MIDST OF THIS. UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, BUT I'LL PASS THAT ON. WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT OUR BUDGET TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO OUR PART AS A COUNCIL AND AS A AWA STAFF OR A COMMITTEE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SAY WE'VE DONE ALL THAT WE COULD TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED. OKAY. YES SIR. SO IN THAT SPIRIT ABOUT GIVING THEM ALL THAT WE NEED, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE BLUE TARPS AND THE HAY BALES GO, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE INSULATING BLANKETS MM-HMM . FROM LIKE GRANGER OR INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY HOUSES. I MEAN, ARE THOSE COST PROHIBITIVE OR WOULD THEY BE A VALUE? I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THE BLUE TART AND THE HAY BALES INSPECT THE A WE'RE NO, THAT, THAT WAS, UH, AN IMMEDIATE YEAH. FIX BETWEEN THE TWO FREEZES TO TRY TO KEEP THE PLANT RUNNING. YEAH. YEAH. UM, BUT NO, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO GET AN, AN EVALUATION OF THE BEST METHOD AND THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE METHOD. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. MAYOR, I HAVE A, UM, OH, COMMENT. I DIDN'T, OKAY. YES MA'AM, GO AHEAD. HI. SORRY. I'M, I'M NOBODY, NOBODY LET ME KNOW THAT YOU WERE ONLINE. I'M SORRY, . NO, THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S OKAY. I'M VIRTUAL. I HAD TO TURN OFF MY VIDEO BECAUSE I'M HAVING INTERNET ISSUES. UM, SO FRANK, I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE DETAILED REPORT ON THE TIMELINE AS WELL AS YOUR PLAN MOVING FORWARD. UH, I, I KNOW MORE AND MORE EACH DAY WE WE'RE HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLE WITH DIFFERENT WEATHER EVENTS, THINGS THAT HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, UM, BEFORE. SO WE ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT OTHER CITIES AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER STATES ACROSS THE SOUTH, UM, EXPERIENCE WITH THE FREEZE. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THAT PLAN FORWARD. UM, I, I SHARE A LOT OF THE SAME, UH, QUESTIONS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED IN, I, I THINK IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING, UM, I BELIEVE THIS MAY QUALIFY UNDER C-D-B-G-I WAS, UM, UH, FUNDING AND THAT IS A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM. AND SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FOR, FOR THIS IF YOU WANNA EXPEDITE ANY MONEY, UM, BEFORE OTHER GRANTS COME THROUGH. AND SO WE MAY WANNA LOOK AT THAT. BUT, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I, I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID. AND, YOU KNOW, UM, WE EXPERIENCED MANY DAYS WITHOUT WATER AND UNFORTUNATELY SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL WITHOUT WATER. BUT, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE GOOD, SAFE DRINKING WATER, WHICH WE CITY OF BAYTOWN IS VERY VALUED FOR. UM, IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE IT, IT'S JUST LIKE VERY FRUSTRATING. SO, UM, JUST THANK YOU AND, AND YOUR TEAM. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YES MA'AM. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY ON THE GRANTS. THERE'S GENERALLY, UM, TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRANTS. ONE IS THE REIMBURSEMENT IS REIMBURSEMENT OF DAMAGES AND, UH, CITY OF BAYTOWN AND BWA IS, UH, INSURED UNDER TML. AND SO WE'LL GET REIMBURSED ANY DAMAGES THROUGH TML. THE OTHER ONE IS MITIGATION TO TRY TO PREVENT, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. AND THAT'S MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SYSTEM, UM, SO THAT IT MITIGATES AN EVENT. AND THOSE GRANTS ARE GENERALLY, UM, CAN BE EITHER COMPETITIVE, UH, BUT THEY'RE NOT USUALLY REIMBURSABLE. IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVED FOR FIRST AND THEN YOU CAN, UH, DO THE PROJECT. SO WE, WE HAVE, UH, REIMBURSEMENT OF OUR COSTS, OF THE DAMAGES. WHAT WE'RE GONNA APPLY FOR IS MITIGATION. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YES, MA'AM. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, FRANK. SO, UM, SO IF THE [00:45:01] POWER HAD, SO IF THE POWER FAILED AND THE, UH, GENERATOR WAS, IF IT HAD STAYED ON AND HADN'T TRIPPED, DO YOU THINK THAT THE FREEZE, UM, STILL WOULDN'T HAVE AFFECTED THE GENERATOR AND ITS MECHANICAL COMPONENTS? 'CAUSE WHERE I WORK, THERE WAS A LOT OF MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FAILURE MM-HMM . SO EVEN IF IT HADN'T HAVE TRIPPED, OR EVEN IF IT HAD TRIPPED AND THE OPERATORS DID KNOW HOW TO RESTART IT, DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE GENERATORS STILL WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE THOSE TEMPERATURES FOR THAT DURATION? UM, WELL WE DID RUN IT FOR THAT WEEK. OUR, I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER ENTITIES THAT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR GENERATORS. OKAY. BECAUSE OF THE TEMPERATURES. WHAT I'M THINKING IS LIKE, MAYBE IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY TO PROTECT THE GENERATOR. THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE THE CONSULTANT LOOK AT IN THE WINTERIZATION PROJECT. OKAY. AND, UM, THAT'S WHY I'D LIKE TO BRING IN SOMEBODY WHO'S YEAH. AN EXPERT AT THIS. AND IF THE, UM, GENERATOR HAD WORKED, WOULD THE LINES HAVE NOT FROZEN OR WOULD THEY, WOULD THERE STILL A THAT'S POSSIBLE. I, OKAY. I THINK, I THINK THE LINES WOULD'VE BEEN OKAY. BUT THE OTHER FACTOR WOULD'VE BEEN THE CHEMICAL TANKS. YEAH. AND THE, AND THE CHEMICALS THEMSELVES GOT, UH, TOO COLD TO USE. YEAH. REALLY. UH, BECAUSE, AND THAT HAPPENS IN THE TANKS, NOT THE LINES. I'LL SHOW, I, I HAD SOME SLIDES THAT I DIDN'T SHOW, BUT I HAVE ONE COMPARING, UM, THE CHEMICALS STORAGE AT, I THOUGHT I DID . THE CHEMICAL STORAGE AT BWA EAST IS ENCLOSED AND, UH, THE CHEMICAL STORAGE AT, UH, THE BAWA MAIN PLANT IS NOT, UM, YOU HAD IT GO, GO BACK, FRANK. IT WAS, YOU HAD IT IN YOUR MAIN PRESENTATION? YEAH. OH, IN THE MAIN PRESENTATION? YEAH. OH, YEAH. YEAH. IT WAS, SORRY, I REMEMBER. OH, HERE IT IS. YEAH. SO YOU SEE THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS THE EAST PLANT WHERE IT'S ENCLOSED. UH, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS THE MAIN PLANT. AND SO THAT'S WHAT I, I WANTED TO, UH, SPEND AT LEAST A HUNDRED THOUSAND THIS YEAR TO PROTECT THE, THE CRITICAL CHEMICALS BECAUSE THERE'S SOME THAT WE CAN GO FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WITHOUT FEEDING THE ONES THAT ADJUST THE PH. THAT'S SOME FOR, UH, CORROSION PROTECTION. YEAH. THE FLUORIDE. MM-HMM . THOSE ARE NOT CRITICAL, YOU KNOW, UH, OVER SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. YEAH. BUT THE ONES, THE COAGULANTS AND, UH, THE DISINFECTANTS ARE THE ONES WE NEED. SO I THINK WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS I CAN GET THOSE TWO TANKS, UH, INSULATED AND PROTECTED MM-HMM . AND THEN, LIKE I SAY, THE, THE PIPES AND THE PUMPS CAN BE PROTECTED TEMPORARILY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BOWEL OF STAFF. YEAH. SO IF WE DON'T LOSE POWER AND WE'VE GOT OUR TANKS PROTECTED, WE CAN KEEP THE WATER FLOWING THROUGH THE LINES AND THE LINES WOULDN'T FREEZE. YEAH. AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT INSULATING PIPES. HAS ANYONE TALKED ABOUT HEAT TRACING? MM-HMM . YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THAT WOULD BE PART OF IT. PART OF THE LONG TERM SOLUTION. YEAH. RIGHT. UM, I AM HAPPY TO SEE THE UPDATES IN YOUR SOPI WAS SURPRISED THAT IT'S NOT ALREADY INCLUDED TO ENSURE CRITICAL PERSONNEL ARE ON SITE OR NEARBY. UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW, UH, FOR US, WE HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER SHIFT AND SUPERVISORS ALREADY AT THE HOTELS MM-HMM . WAITING TO MAKE THAT CHANGE INSTEAD OF EXPECTING THEM TO DRIVE IN. AND SO THIS IS FOR LIKE HURRICANES OR FLOODS OR RIGHT, RIGHT. OR I GUESS IN THIS CASE, THE FREEZE. SO THAT MAY BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IS GET YOURSELF, WE DO HAVE SOME 15 ROOMS AND IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY PERSONNEL THERE, BUT YEAH. WE GENERALLY TRY TO, UH, WORK THEM IN SHIFTS. UM, BUT IN, IN AN EVENT WHERE THE TRAVEL WOULD BE SO RESTRICTED, UH, I'M JUST SAYING I WOULD BRING MORE OR LESS ALL THE PERSONNEL I WOULD NEED LONG TERM ON SITE. YEAH. AND JUST HAVE THEM, AND, AND THAT MEANS I HAVE TO TRY TO DEVELOP SOME SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS. YEAH. UH, FEEDING FACILITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT. MM-HMM . AND SO, UH, STOCKING UP ON FOOD AND TOILETRIES. RIGHT. AND SHAMPOO, ALL THE THINGS HUMAN BEINGS NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE AND DO THEIR JOB. YES. UM, I IMAGINE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE THESE KINDS OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, THEY, THEY MUST HAVE THESE KINDS OF THINGS ALREADY WORKED IN. I WONDER IF THERE'S ANY LIKE, BEST PRACTICE SHARING AMONGST DEPARTMENTS TO SEE LIKE, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE WATER PLANTS, PROCEDURES THAT ISN'T THERE, BUT MAYBE IN LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR POLICE DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, JUST LIKE, UH, SOME OF THOSE OTHERS. SO I WONDER IF THERE'S, UH, JUST SOME BEST PRACTICE SHARING AMONGST THE DEPARTMENTS THAT MAYBE WE JUST HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT I'LL TO OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS STAFF. AND, UM, AND IT, I DON'T KNOW. IT WOULDN'T HURT IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, SEEING WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T. ASKING YOUR INDUSTRY COUNTERPARTS, I MEAN, ALL [00:50:01] THE THREE MAJOR, UH, FACILITIES IN TOWN, THEY HAVE WATER PROCESSING PLANTS TOO. AND SO I WONDER WHAT THEY LEARNED FROM IT. AND THERE MAY BE SOME THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. BEST PRACTICE ROUND TABLE OPPORTUNITIES THERE AS WELL. WE COULD DO THAT. THANK YOU, FRANK. THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM EITHER BALL MEMBERS OR ONE QUICK COMMENT, INSULATED BLANKETS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT? I THINK THERE'S A COMPANY ON NORTH MAIN THAT MAKES 'EM AND SELLS 'EM. OKAY. IF YOU WANNA SHOP LOCAL, THERE YOU GO. OKAY. OKAY. UM, I'LL GO AHEAD WITH, UH, I GUESS A FEW OF MY COMMENTS. UH, FIRST I WANNA START WITH THE, THE HUMAN FACTOR. SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE WE, I'M GONNA USE THE WORD FORTUNATE, BUT IN THAT PROCESS, UH, THE CITY MANAGER MYSELF, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO GO, UH, TWICE TO, TO VISIT AS THE PLANT SHUT DOWN. UM, I CAN TELL YOU IT WAS NOT JUST THE TANKS, IT WAS EVEN THE LINES AND THEY'RE ALL EXPOSED. AND SO, UH, I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED, UM, THAT THESE, THESE CHEMICALS THAT THE FREEZING POINT IS SO CLOSE TO THE FREEZING POINT OF WATER, THEY GEL UP, YOU KNOW, EVEN AT 30 DEGREES OR OR SO ON. SO IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH TO, TO GET 'EM TO A, TO A POINT WHERE THEY COULDN'T, THEY COULDN'T, IN A SENSE BE, UM, INTRODUCED INTO THE PROCESS. UM, BUT WITH THAT, WHAT I SAW WAS, UH, UH, THE STAFF THAT WAS THERE, THESE WERE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES THAT WERE DOING EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY HUMANLY COULD IN, IN ORDER TO RESTORE WATER AND, AND GET OUR PLANT UP TO PRODUCTION. SO I, I TOLD HIM THEY'RE ON SITE. THERE WAS, THERE WAS TWO GENTLEMEN, HE ALREADY AT THAT TIME, ALREADY REBUILT NEW LINES FOUR TIMES, SO HE COULD ALMOST DO IT BLINDFOLDED. UH, BUT THEY WERE, IT WAS EASIER AND QUICKER TO JUST CUT OUT THE LINE AND PUT A WHOLE NEW LINE IN AND TRY TO SEE TO RESTART THE PLANT. SO THEY TRIED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES TO DO THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. UM, AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE STILL, UM, LOSING PRESSURE, LOSING THE ABILITY TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE SYSTEM. BUT THESE EMPLOYEES NEVER, THEY NEVER GAVE UP THAT THEY WERE, UM, THEY WERE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN THEIR KNOWLEDGE BASE TO, TO GO AND RESTORE WATER TO OUR CITIZENS AND TO CITIZENS, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN. SO THERE'S A LARGE FOOTPRINT THAT IS IMPACTED BY, UM, OUR INABILITY TO PRODUCE WATER AND DISTRIBUTE WATER. BUT, UM, THESE EMPLOYEES, THEY, UM, THEY DID A REMARKABLE JOB. SO I, I WANT TO SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. ALTHOUGH THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, AS SOON AS WE GOT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THAT ALLOWED THEM TO GO AND, AND, AND DO WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO, THAT'S WHAT TOOK PLACE. WHICH OCCURRED, UH, WHAT WEDNESDAY EVENING, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OR SO, UM, WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO A BETTER, UM, TEMPERATURE TO TRY TO OPERATE. UM, BUT I, LET'S MOVE IN A LITTLE BIT TO, UH, WHAT I'VE HEARD THROUGHOUT THIS. SO USUALLY IN A PROCESS LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MITIGATE RISK, RIGHT? YOU HAVE PEOPLE PROCESS, AND THEN AT, FOR OUR POINT HERE, MECHANICAL INSTRUMENTS. MECHANICAL DEVICES. SO PEOPLE, I THINK WE HAVE VERY COMPETENT STAFF, UH, AND DEDICATED STAFF. I, I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE. I DON'T, I HAVE, I, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY KIND OF HUMAN FACTORS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS AND THE INABILITY FOR US TO PRODUCE POWER. I MEAN, PRODUCE WATER, UM, THE PROCESS. I, I AGREE. UM, SOP IMPROVEMENT REVIEW, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THAT, IF IT'S THE GENERATOR STARTUP, THE RE RESTART, IF IT'S IN A FELT SAFE MODE, LIKE IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE IN. UM, BUT REVIEWING THAT, UH, I LIKE THE IDEA OF BRINGING IN INDUSTRY EXPERTS. UH, WE HAVE 'EM HERE LOCALLY. HOPEFULLY THEY'D BE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER AND WE SHARE AND BENCHMARK, UH, AND TRADE KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION. I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT. UM, AND THEN, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, INSPECTION, UH, A LOT OF THIS IS, THIS IS AN OLDER PLANT. UM, I THINK, UH, WAS 1980 OR SO. AND SO THERE'S SOME PARTS I'M SURE THAT WERE, UH, FROM 1980, UH, I WOULD ALWAYS, UM, WOULD SAY VISIBLE, VISIBLE OR VISUAL INSPECTION, PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, WHATEVER THAT MAY OCCUR. IF WE NEED TO KIND OF SHORTEN THE PERIOD OF TIME, SO BE IT, WE'LL DO THAT. UM, BUT A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, A LOT OF IT'S VISUAL INSPECTION. I KNOW A LOT OF THE FAILURES WERE BASED OFF OF THE WEATHER THAT CAUSED THE, THE FAILURE. UM, BUT IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE, WE CAN REPLACE CRITICAL PARTS, UM, I WILL SAY ONE OF MY PREVIOUS, PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS, WE HAVE A, WE WE'LL GO, WE'LL HAVE A SHELF LIFE FOR SOME CRITICAL PARTS WHEN THEY HIT THAT WE REPLACE IT BECAUSE WE NEVER, WE, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GO INTO A FAILURE MODE. AND SO THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN. UM, AND THEN A SPARE CRITICAL PARTS, UM, UH, KIND OF BENCH STOCK IF WE NEED TO, RIGHT? IF IT'S GAUGES OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. I KNOW WE CAN'T JUST KEEP THE SIZE PUMPS AND GENERATORS AROUND, GENERATORS AROUND THAT WE, WE HAVE. BUT, UH, IT MAY BE SOME OF THE SMALLER THINGS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN, UH, THAT WE EXPERIENCED OR OTHER, UH, FACILITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT ON HAND IF POSSIBLE. UM, BUT AGAIN, UM, I WOULD SAY WE CAN DRAW ON EXPERTISE OUTSIDE OF OUR, OUR CURRENT STAFF. UH, I THINK WE DO. SO, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA REDUCE THE RISK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. UH, TRY TO FIND ANY OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT WE CAN REPLACE IF IT'S THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR, FOR WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, FOR [00:55:01] INSULATION OF THESE TANKS AND AND SO ON. I THINK THAT'S GREAT. UH, IF IT'S SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THAT, WHAT WE WOULD ENTERTAIN BOTH AS A BA BOARD AND, AND AS COUNCIL TO, TO ENSURE WHAT CAN WE DO, UM, TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. YOU KNOW, MY, MY CLOSING COMMENT WHEN I TALKED TO SOME ENGINEERS AFTER HARVEY AND, AND OTHER, OTHER TYPES OF, OF NATURAL EVENTS, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THEY ALWAYS SAY, AND ENGINEERS SAY THEY, THEY WILL, THEY WILL LOVE TO ENGINEER ANYTHING. BUT THE ONE THING THEY CAN'T, CAN'T EVER, UH, I GUESS, UH, OUTSMART OR OVERCOME IS, IS OVER-ENGINEERING OR, UH, THE ABILITY TO ENGINEER MOTHER NATURE. AND THAT IS, THAT WAS OUR MAIN FACTOR. AT THE END OF THE DAY, OUR MAIN ROOT CAUSE WAS JUST EXTREME TEMPERATURES. UM, 15 DEGREES, 17 DEGREES, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. YOU'RE A PE HERE. AND SO I KNOW ENGINEERS WOULD LOVE TO ENGINEER. THEY, THEY TRY TO DO WHAT THEY CAN, BUT SOMETIMES MOTHER NATURE, IT JUST CANNOT BE OVERCOME. AND I THINK THAT WAS THE MAIN, OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF OUR ABILITY TO, OUR INABILITY TO PRODUCE WATER. YES SIR. I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO STAFF. I KNOW YOU WERE, I MEAN, WE WERE AT THE EOC AND YOU DIDN'T GET VERY MUCH SLEEP EITHER. AND SO THANK YOU. OKAY. WITH THAT. ANY OTHER, I I JUST APPRECIATE YOU GUYS GIVING US THE TIME TODAY. I KNOW THIS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING, BUT WE FELT LIKE THIS WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO CLOSE THE LOOP ON THIS. UH, AND UM, I LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS THROUGH THIS WHOLE INCIDENT. I HAD NO IDEA IT COULD GET TO BE 15 DEGREES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THAT WAS VERY EXTRAORDINARY. COMING FROM A VERY COLD ENVIRONMENT. UH, I TOLD SOME OF THE STAFF, THIS IS WHAT WE CALL SPRING IN UTAH AND WE NEVER HAD A WATER FAILURE THERE. IT WAS VERY UNANTICIPATED. BUT WHAT I TOLD THEM IS, IS THE SIN DOESN'T LIE. WHAT HAPPENED, IT WOULD BE IN WHAT WE DON'T DO AS A RESULT, WHAT WE DON'T LEARN, WHAT WE DON'T CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THIS. AND JUST LIKE HARVEY, WHICH WAS AN INCREDIBLY EXTRAORDINARY EVENT, WE'RE GOING TO BE BETTER PREPARED THE NEXT TIME. I THINK WE CAN ASSURE YOU, UH, THAT WILL IT STILL HAPPEN? I DON'T KNOW. 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T FACED THAT YET. MIGHT GET TO ZERO THE NEXT TIME, BUT, UH, WE WILL BE BETTER PREPARED THAN WE WERE THIS TIME. SO GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ALL. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, UH, THIS MEETING'S NOW ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.