Ramona, CA

Town Runs Out of Water By Ruth Lepper Photos by Vickie Stalker Ramona-10/23/07 The semi trucks delivering the 40 foot generator and the transformer had to drive in reverse for approx the last 1/4 mile in order to move the weight of the load up the hill to the Poway Pump Station. This was one of two generators to be delivered. The crews worked throughout the night to install the generator to the pumping station Ramona Municipal Water District officials has declared the town is out of water. "There are several reasons this happened," Ron Mulick, RMWD assistant manager, said on Tuesday. "(San Diego Gas & Electric) shut the power off about 4 (o'clock) on Monday." That was the main reason for the water shortage. Without power, he said. The pumps no longer worked to pump the water. Another reason was the "great demand of the hydrants being used" by firefighters. Customer usage was also a deterrent. "Customers turned their water on to water their houses," he said, adding that often the water was left on when residents evacuated. "When the fire hit, it broke customers' waterlines. They started leaking." For anyone who remained in town and still has water, Mulick said it is a "boil-down alert" until the county Department of Health Services gives an all-clear sign. "When the water will be restored is unknown," Mulick said on Tuesday. "We should be hooking up generators now. It takes time to get water into the system. It will take a while to fill the tanks." Crews were at work all day Tuesday cutting roads through Green Valley Truck Trail in Highland Valley, crossing behind Lake Ramona Dam and past Lake Poway to reach the pump station RMWD maintains there. Another stumbling block was that there also was no power available to the pump station. Power was out in that area of Poway. The pump station is located near the Blue Sky Preserve, which also received substantial fire damage from the Witch Creek fire. Mulick said it should take two days to restore the main transition lines at the pump station. At least 1,000 feet of line is needed to pump water from Poway to Ramona, he said. The water district office is closed. Mulick said about 75 percent of the work force has been able to return to work and is in the field diligently working to restore water to the town.