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FORT BLISS, Texas –Environmental and engineering teams at William Beaumont Army Medical Center strongly believe that a valve failure in the hospital’s water softener system is the cause of the current Water Advisory. The team of experts on the ground concluded that the valve failure introduced brine (salty water) into the water system, causing limited piping corrosion, which resulted in water discoloration and sediment in the system. Preliminary test samples confirmed the absence of biological hazards or pathogens in the water. Subject matter experts with Army Public Health Center along with the on-site interdisciplinary team are reviewing initial results. WBAMC facilities staff and maintenance engineers are working to remove the brine corrosion from the affected water system components, ordering replacement parts and materials, and repairing the valve failure. The onsite experts are from Regional Health Command-Central, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Defense Health Agency, and the U.S. Army Public Health Center. Together, they plan a high-speed directional water flush, once all system components are inspected and operational. The water flush will move large volumes of water through the hospital’s domestic water system, removing any remaining debris. The Hospital Commander continues to hold the Water Advisory in place until flushing is complete. Once the system flush is complete, further water sampling will confirm confidence in the water quality within the hospital. Hospital leaders have established a sterilization contract with one local area hospital to continue the highest safety standards and ensure ample supplies. Water bottles and bulk water systems are now in place and used throughout the hospital. With the interim solutions in place, the hospital has restored most pre-advisory services and resumed both trauma cases presented to the emergency department and elective surgeries. WBAMC established a Water Advisory page and provides daily updates for the public at https://william-beaumont.tricare.mil/Patient-Resources/Water-Advisory.
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2022 01:06 |
| Story ID: | 418832 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Update #2 on Water Advisory at WBAMC, by LTC Allie Scott, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
