UPDATE, Aug. 20, 11:16 a.m. School has also resumed for Castle Dome Middle School, Desert Mesa Elementary, Dorothy Hall Elementary, Gila Ridge High School, Mary A. Otondo Elementary, O.C. Johnson Elementary, Ron Watson Middle School, Southwestern Christian School and Sunrise Elementary.
UPDATE 8:05 p.m. Wednesday- Yuma city officials made the following announcement regarding the power outage earlier in the day: "As of 7:00 pm tonight the Agua Viva Water Treatment Plant processes have been restored, resulting in improved water pressures throughout the distribution system.
We are now approaching near normal operating conditions as crews continue working to restore the Agua Viva Water Treatment Facility to full operation.
Customers may continue to experience some fluctuations in water pressure while the system stabilizes. Crews will continue monitoring system conditions and adjusting as needed.
The City has remained in communication with state regulators throughout the event to ensure that all drinking water requirements continue to be met.
We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding throughout this event. Additional updates will be provided as necessary."
Arizona Western College officials announced the Yuma Campus will be open Thursday and in-person classes will resume as normal.
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UPDATE 5:25 p.m. Wednesday: The City of Yuma made the following announcement regarding the power outage at the Agua Viva water treatment facility that impacted some city water customers and closed schools on East 24th Street from Gila Ridge High School and Arizona Western College and beyond:
"Earlier today, a major electrical failure at the Agua Viva Water Treatment Facility took the facility offline and prevented it from operating on either APS power or its emergency generators.
Throughout the day, the Main Street Water Treatment Plant continued supplying water to the community while crews worked to maintain system pressures. Areas east of Avenue 3E experienced the greatest impacts.
At approximately 2:15 p.m., crews began restoring water pressure at Agua Viva using additional emergency generators. Another generator is being delivered this evening and will be integrated into the facility as soon as it arrives. We anticipate this will allow us to return the water system to a more normal operating condition.
The system will continue operating at reduced capacity during the recovery process, and customers may experience lower-than-normal water pressure.
The City has remained in communication with state regulators throughout the event to ensure all drinking water requirements continue to be met.
We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. Additional updates will be provided as they become available."
AWC officials said they anticipate campus business hours and in-person classes resuming as normal tomorrow (Thursday).
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Yuma city officials on Wednesday morning announced an unexpected power outage at the Agua Viva water treatment facility.
Schools in the area including the Arizona Western College main Yuma campus and Gila Ridge High School announced closures for the day as city personnel work to restore normal operations as soon and as safely as possible.
City of Yuma officials said the cause and anticipated duration of the outage are currently unknown.
Residents and businesses are asked to reduce water usage at this time. Conserving water will help maintain water system pressure and support continued service to the community. People are asked to limit non-essential water use including irrigation, washing vehicles and other activities that can be postponed.
Yuma K-12 campuses closed today due to the outage are Dorothy Hall Elementary, Desert Mesa Elementary, Gila Ridge High School, Mary Otondo Elementary, Castle Dome Middle School, Sunrise Elementary, Ron Watson Middle School and Southwestern Christian.
A 12:24 p.m. update from Yuma School District One added O.C. Johnson Elementary to the list after a water line broke near campus. Students were dismissed early and the district has been in touch with the City of Yuma regarding repairs.
AWC officials said the Yuma campus is closed today due to the water interruption affecting a chiller, which means there is no air conditioning for the time being.
Employees, are asked to check with their supervisor about working remotely today.
For faculty, in-person classes are moving online for today. Students will check in on Canvas and/or await instruction from faculty regarding today’s instruction.
AWC officials said they expect this to be a one-day interruption and will share updates as they become available.
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Stay tuned to KAWC for updates on this power outage as they become available.
KAWC education solutions reporter Sisko Stargazer contributed to this report.
