Another Alliance water well has been taken off line due to arsenic issues.

The Alliance Water Department received notification from the Nebraska
Department of Health that the arsenic level in one of it’s municipal wells near the BNSF Railway has exceeded the 10 parts per billion standard over the four-quarter period of 2012.

The average exceeded for the period was 2 parts per billion.

As a result the water department is required to mail a notice to all water customers. These notices will be mailed with each customers utility bill beginning November 20th.

“Since this well was blended with water from other municipal wells the department feels that at no time was the 10 parts per billion limit exceeded in the distribution system,” said City Water Supt. Mike Hulquist.

“The notice specifically says that this was not an immediate risk,” he added.

The Water Department permanently discontinued the use of the well on Oct. 19, 2012.

Below is the letter that will be sent to Alliance water customers in their utility bills between Nov. 20 and mid December.

In accordance with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Regulations Governing Public Water Supply Systems, the consumers of the City of Alliance public water supply system are hereby notified that the system is in violation of the established drinking water standard for arsenic of 0.010 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for the quarterly period of October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. Arsenic has been measured at annual average concentration of 0.011 mg/L* in routine samples collected from the City of Alliance public water system.

* The dates of, and results from the actual samples were as follows:

Date – Sampled Results
February 13, 2012 – 0.012 mg/L
March 12, 2012 – 0.012 mg/L
May 29, 2012 – 0.010 mg/L
August 7, 2012 – 0.011 mg/L
November 5, – 2012 0.010 mg/L

Some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

What should I do?  DO NOT BOIL THE WATER. Boiling, freezing, or letting water stand does not reduce the arsenic level. Excessive boiling can make the arsenic more concentrated, because arsenic remains behind when the water evaporates.

** You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. This is not an immediate risk. The effects associated with exposure to arsenic at these levels are the result of many years of constant exposure. However, if you have health concerns, consult your doctor.

What happened? What is being done?

Arsenic is a metal that occurs naturally in the environment, and may occur as a by-product of some agricultural and industrial activities. Arsenic can enter the drinking water through the ground or as run-off into surface water sources.

For more information, contact the City of Alliance Water Department at 762-1907.

Effective December 1, Alliance electric customers will begin paying up to one cent per kilowatt hour more for their electricity.

The Alliance City Council approved the increase Thursday night.

The rate increase was implemented because the city was paying more for its electricity from MEAN, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska.

“We’re currently charging, overall, about 8 cents per kwh, but we’re paying 9 cents for the power from MEAN,”  said Alliance City Manager J.D. Cox.

“The city has absorbed the loss over the past few months by pulling money from reserves,” he added.   “In October we had to pull over $150,000 from reserves for electric.” 

Alliance is not the only municipality effected by higher electric costs, last week the Nebraska Public Power District Board of Directors approved a 3.75 percent increase that will begin January 1. Cox says it is a trend that is expected to continue statewide and across the nation.

The City of Alliance has commissioned a rate study which is currently underway, with the study results to be made public in March.

33-year-old Jason Custer of Sidney has pleaded not guilty to murder and weapons charges in a drug-related slaying earlier this month in Sidney.

He remains in custody on $1-million dollars bail following his arraignment yesterday in Cheyenne County District Court in Sidney, with his next hearing scheduled for January 8.

Custer is accused of fatally shooting Adam McCormick on November in what authorities believe was an argument over about $160 in drug money.

Custer fled to Big Springs, where he was arrested later that day at a motel. Two other Sidney residents faces charges for helping him leave Sidney.

A U-S Air Force report says a North Carolina Air National Guard plane that crashed July 1st while fighting wildfires near Edgemont went down because the crew misjudged conditions and flew into a wind burst that slammed them to the ground. Four crewmembers aboard the C-130 Hercules air tanker were killed in the crash while 2 survived.

       The accident investigation report released Wednesday by the Air Force Air Mobility Command says the crash happened because the crew made an “inadequate assessment” of conditions and flew into a microburst...a narrow, short-lived wind gust that rushes downward out of a thunderstorm.

      A microburst is typically less than 2.5 miles in diameter and lasts for less than 5 minutes. The report says two other plane crews on the scene failed to communicate critical information about the conditions, and that the C-130’s crew received conflicting information on avoiding a thunderstorm.

       The North Carolina Air National Guard said in a statement released after the report that it would study the accident investigation’s findings to prevent future tragedies.

       The C-130 was one of 8 specially equipped for firefighting duties, 3 of which are part of the Air National Guard’s 145th Air Wing…based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The plane that crashed was one of 3 sent by the unit to battle fires in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota.

        It was flying out of Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs when it was assigned to the 14-square mile White Draw Fire on primarily National Forest land near Edgemont when it went down.

      Killed were 42-year old Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, 36-year old Major Joseph McCormick, 35-year old Major Ryan David, and 50-year old Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cannon, all North Carolina residents.

      All of the specially-equipped C-130s were grounded immediately after the crash, but returned to service about a day later…although the other North Carolina planes quickly returned home.