Photo By Sgt. Thomas Norris | U.S. Army Sgt. Isaiah Gomez, an allied trades sergeant (left) and Sgt. Xavier Daniels,...... read more read more
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Citizens living in areas around Augusta, Georgia, nearly lost access to running water when Hurricane Helene roared through the state on Sept. 27. However, expertise from mechanics in a local National Guard unit helped keep the water flowing for drinking, washing, and sewage.
When a pump at the Augusta Utilities Raw Water Pumping Station fell offline after the storm, Richmond County’s emergency management agency called for backup. That help came in the form of U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Augusta-based Alpha Forward Support Company (FSC), 878th Engineer Battalion, 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
Geographic proximity wasn’t the only reason the Georgia National Guard assigned the mission to FSC. The Soldiers specialized in generator, hydraulic, and diesel mechanics, meeting the point of need requested by civil authorities.
“If this problem kept going, Richmond County and Columbia County would have had to shut down their water within 24 hours,” said Sgt. Xavier Daniel, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with FSC.
“The residents would have only had water bottles to use, and everyone would have to conserve a lot more water.”
The Augusta Utilities Department provides water and sewer service to an area of 230 square miles and a population of over 160,000 people. The distribution system consists of approximately 1,200 miles of water mains.
The department’s raw water pumping station has two pumps capable of carrying 50 million gallons of water each. However, one of the pumps fell offline just as the municipality was most vulnerable after Helene tore through the region.
The team of Georgia Guard and civilian mechanics worked together on the fallen day tank pump system. After two days of troubleshooting, they determined a faulty engine control module (ECM) caused the whole system to shut down.
The Soldiers replaced the ECM, and the tank operator brought the system back online without any further issues.
“There was no fuel pumping from the main tank to the day tank,” said Warrant Officer 1 Tyler Faulkner, an automotive maintenance warrant officer with the company. “There was no fuel going to the engine.”
Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to FSC were already active in the area primarily to haul and repair military vehicles used in relief efforts. Clearing routes of fallen trees and debris causes notable wear and tear on equipment, necessitating activation of support units.
Daniel noted though that the day pump repair station was the most high-stakes task assigned to FSC during this operation. The mission was also rewarding knowing that its outcomes bettered the lives of thousands still recovering from Helene.
The Georgia Department of Defense (Ga. DoD) has mobilized to provide response and recovery support to areas in the state impacted by Hurricane Helene. As of this story, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has authorized activation of 2,500 Georgia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen. Over 1,400 service members are mobilized now for the mission.
At the direction of the Governor and through the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the Ga. DoD will continue to partner local, state, and federal entities in this effort.
The Ga. DoD comprises of Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers, Georgia Air National Guard Airmen, Georgia State Defense Force Volunteers, and state and federal civilian employees.
“I’d like to give kudos to my team. They’ve been awesome at working together,” Faulkner said. “Nobody’s been bumping heads. We get a task, and we knock it out.”
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.02.2024 17:56 |
| Story ID: | 482289 |
| Location: | AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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