When:  Beginning Tuesday, June 30, 2009, at 6:00 a.m.
Affected Area:  Flagler Drive between Banyan Blvd. and Fern Street

Due to necessary stormwater improvements, Flagler Drive will be closed between Banyan Boulevard and Fern Street beginning Tuesday, June 30, 2009, at 6:00 a.m.  The road is expected to reopen by September 30, 2009.

All residents, business and their customers will have access to their destinations near the construction area.  The City has coordinated with local businesses and residences in an effort to minimize the project’s impact.  The new City public docks along Flagler Drive will remain open to the public throughout the road work.  The project will not affect the City’s 4th on Flagler festivities which will be located between Fern Street and Lakeview Avenue.

Northbound traffic on Flagler Drive will detour at Fern Street to Olive Avenue.  Southbound traffic on Flagler Drive will detour at Banyan Boulevard to Narcissus Avenue.

WPB Issues Precautionary Boil Water Notice for Riverwalk Community
When:  Boil Water Notice in Effect Until Monday, May 24, 2009, at 7:00 a.m.
Where:  Riverwalk Community ONLY

(05/24/09)  Due to a broken water pipe and a temporary drop in water pressure, the City of West Palm Beach has issued a precautionary boil water notice for residents in the Riverwalk Community only.  Riverwalk is located on Okeechobee Boulevard west of Jog Road.

Residents in Riverwalk should not consume their water, use it for cooking or use it for cleaning utensils unless it has first been boiled for 2-3 minutes.  This precautionary measure is in effect until Monday, May 25, 2009, at 7:00 a.m.

The City of West Palm Beach has notified Riverwalk residents of this situation with a reverse-911 phone call.  Residents with any questions or concerns should call the City’s 24-hour hotline at 561-822-2222.

(Monday, March 2, 2009)  As part of the overall effort to improve the quality and reliability of the water system and provide top-quality drinking water to its customers, the City of West Palm Beach will continue the implementation of a new measure designed to help prevent lead and copper leaching from customer’s pipes into the water and to reduce pipe corrosion.  The City has used anti-corrosion measures in the past, but this new treatment is a significant improvement over the old system.

The City will continue to gradually introduce a phosphate corrosion control additive into the water supply at the water treatment plant, using a strictly controlled and closely monitored process.  This process is being undertaken with the full cooperation and support of the Palm Beach County Health Department and other regulatory agencies.

Though the City no longer uses lead in water pipes or joints, some water customers with older homes still have lead in their home’s pipes, joints or fixtures.  The City routinely tests its water for the presence of lead, copper and other regulated parameters and is currently in compliance with all lead and copper regulatory standards.

Water customers are not being asked to take any action as a result of this measure.  Should any water customers notice a slight discoloration of their water immediately after this process begins, they should let their water run for a few minutes until it clears.  Residents with questions or concerns should contact the City’s 24-hour hotline at 561-822-2222.

The anti-corrosion additive is a poly-orthophosphate blend of 70% orthophosphate and 30% polyphosphate.  Orthophosphate forms a protective coating on the inside of pipes in both the distribution system and in customer homes.  The coating can help prevent copper and lead from leaching into drinking water, particularly in homes that have pipes or fixtures containing lead.  Poly-orthophosphate is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is commonly used to improve water quality and protect water distribution systems.

(Wednesday, October 29, 2008)  As part of the overall effort to improve the quality and reliability of the water system and provide top-quality drinking water to its customers, the City of West Palm Beach will launch a new measure designed to help prevent lead and copper leaching from customer’s pipes into the water and to reduce pipe corrosion.  The measures will begin on Thursday, October 30, 2008.  The City has used anti-corrosion measures in the past, but this new treatment will be a significant improvement over the old system.

The City will gradually introduce a phosphate corrosion control additive into the water supply at the water treatment plant, using a strictly controlled and closely monitored process.  This process is being undertaken with the full cooperation and support of the Palm Beach County Health Department and other regulatory agencies.

Though the City no longer uses lead in water pipes or joints, some water customers with older homes still have lead in their home’s pipes, joints or fixtures.  The City routinely tests its water for the presence of lead, copper and other materials.

“This measure is part of our commitment to having a top-quality water system,” said Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “We’ll continue to make the necessary investments to improve the quality and reliability of our water supply.”

Water customers are not being asked to take any action as a result of this measure.  Should any water customers notice a slight discoloration of their water immediately after this process begins, they should let their water run for a few minutes until it clears.  Residents with questions or concerns should contact the City’s 24-hour hotline at 561-822-2222.

The anti-corrosion additive is a poly-orthophosphate blend of 70% orthophosphate and 30% polyphosphate.  Orthophosphate forms a protective coating on the inside of pipes in both the distribution system and in customer homes.  The coating can help prevent copper and lead from leaching into drinking water, particularly in homes that have pipes or fixtures containing lead.  Poly-orthophosphate is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is commonly used to improve water quality and protect water distribution systems.

(Friday, May 16, 2008)  As a temporary measure intended to supplement existing water supplies and help reduce the impact of dry weather on protected species at Grassy Waters Preserve, the City of West Palm Beach will be accessing water stored in the L-8 reservoir beginning the week of May 19, 2008.  The move is being made with the full support and cooperation of the South Florida Water Management District.

The L-8 reservoir water will be blended with water from other sources and will be treated in accordance with strict standards.  It is expected that West Palm Beach water customers WILL NOT notice any change in the quality or taste of their drinking water as a result of the L-8 water use.

This temporary measure will help support the Everglades snail kite bird population in Grassy Waters Preserve.  This protected species relies on apple snails as a primary source of food, and sufficient water levels in the preserve are critical to apple snails.

It is expected that the City will cease accessing water from the L-8 reservoir once the South Florida dry season comes to a close.

(Thursday, April 10, 2008)  With the approval of the South Florida Water Management District, the City of West Palm Beach will be allowing all City water customers to water their lawns twice a week beginning Friday, April 18, 2008.  The City had previously been on once-a-week yard watering restrictions.  The decision to go to twice-a-week yard watering affects all residents in the City of West Palm Beach, the Town of Palm Beach and the Town of South Palm Beach.

Under the new restrictions, homes with odd-numbered addresses will be allowed to water their lawns on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Homes with even-numbered addresses will be allowed to water their lawns on Thursdays and Sundays.  Watering is permitted between either 12:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. or between 4:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.

Beginning April 18, the City will decrease its water use surcharge.  As mandated by City ordinance, customers who use more than eight units (approximately 6,000 gallons) of water per month will face a 20% surcharge on the amount of water they use in excess of the eight units.  This surcharge will be included in utility bills.

Complete water restriction information can be found at wpb.org.  Residents who have questions or notice water-use violations are asked to call the City’s 24-hour hotline at (561) 822-2222.   Water customers can also get more information through West Palm TV (Comcast Cable channel 18).

(Wednesday, February 20, 2008)  The City of West Palm Beach has ended the temporary use of the free chlorine disinfection method for all of the City’s water customers.  Water is now being treated using the “chloramine” (pronounced “chlor-uh-meen”) disinfection method, which was the City’s standard treatment method prior to recent free chlorine treatment.

“We have made significant progress in our efforts to improve the quality and reliability of the City of West Palm Beach’s water,” said Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “The process of upgrading our entire water system will continue to be a priority.”

The City had continued to use the free chlorine treatment method in recent weeks due to repairs and upgrades being made to a storage tank, and not because of bacteria levels in the water.  The expert group that is currently operating the water treatment plant, U.S. Water Services, says the overall water quality has been greatly improved in recent months.

Residents with questions may call the City’s 24-hour hotline, 561-822-2222.

(Thursday, February 14, 2008)  Mayor Lois J. Frankel is pleased to announce that the City of West Palm Beach has hired Yasser Abouaish to be the City’s Director of Public Utilities.  Abouaish is expected to begin his duties on February 19, 2008.

“Mr. Abouaish brings tremendous experience and expertise to the Department of Public Utilities and the City of West Palm Beach,” said Mayor Frankel.  “He will be an excellent addition to the City’s team as we continue to improve the quality of our water and deal with our ongoing drought.”

Abouaish has 25 years of experience in water management, having working in both the public and private sectors.  He has experience in program development, engineering, planning and design, system construction, operation and utility management.  Abouaish was recently the Senior Program Director of Earth Tech, Inc., an environmental, water and wastewater firm.  From 1996-2005, Abouaish was employed by the Minneapolis (Minnesota) Water Works, most recently as Water Superintendent.

Abouaish has a Masters degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Cairo University in Egypt.

(02/13/08)  In accordance with a program recommended by the Palm Beach County Health Department, the City’s altered water chlorination methods will be extended by one week, from February 14, 2008 to February 20, 2008.

The current extension is necessary so that crews can continue repairs and upgrades in a water storage tank and is not due to bacteria levels in the water.

Continuing on February 14, 2008, a “free chlorine” water treatment will be used to provide a somewhat stronger disinfection process than the “combined chlorine” treatment which is normally used.  The City will revert back to the “combined chlorine” method on February 20, 2008.

West Palm Beach, Palm Beach and South Palm Beach Utility customers may notice a slight chlorine taste or odor in the tap water during this period; however, these temporary conditions will not cause adverse health effects.  Tropical fish tank owners, hospitals and residents with pools should be aware of the chlorination changes and make adjustments accordingly.  Any questions should be directed to the City of West Palm Beach Central Operations Center, (561) 822-2222.

City of West Palm Beach leaders are asking residents and businesses to conserve water and follow the new yard-watering restrictions recently approved by the South Florida Water Management District.  The restrictions affect all City of West Palm Beach water customers, including those in the Town of Palm Beach and the Town of South Palm Beach.

“When we all do our part and conserve water, we can make a difference,” said Mayor Lois J. Frankel.  “We need residents and businesses owners to once again step up to the plate and help us save our most precious natural resource.”

The new restrictions take effect on Tuesday, January 15, 2008.  Under the new restrictions, residents and businesses with odd-numbered street addresses may water their lawns on Mondays only between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. or between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  Residents and businesses with even-numbered street addresses may water their lawns on Thursdays only between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. or between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Residents are also encouraged to voluntarily cut their indoor water use.  Ways to save water indoors include taking shorter showers, only running washing machines and dishwashers when they are full and using less water when washing hands or shaving.

Full details of the restrictions, as well as helpful conservation tips, can be found here.  Residents may also call the City’s 24-hour hotline at (561) 822-2222.