[UPDATE: Fixed] Water Reservoir for Town of Myers Flat Is Empty

The 350,000 gallon water reservoir for a little town on the Avenue of the Giants is empty, according to Mary Whitmore, who is the office manager for the Myers Flat Mutual Water System. Whitmore says that the pump has been off since at least yesterday in the town situated about 15 minutes north of Garberville along the Avenue of the Giants. She thinks the pump may have quit working several days ago. But the problem wasn’t discovered until late this afternoon.

“The system operator is on his way to check it out,” Whitmore explained, but until he does, she isn’t sure what the problem is.  There can be no estimated time of repair until the operator is able to get on site and determine the problem, she said.

Meanwhile, most of the town is without water. Some people have a bit trickling from their pipes, but mostly, Whitmore says, “We don’t have any water.”

A worker at the Four Mori Market and Deli said that as of 5 p.m. he hadn’t noticed a big upswing in water sales but, as news about the situation gets out, “I wouldn’t be surprised to see it pick up.”

UPDATE 6:31 p.m.: The water is back filling the reservoir. Mary Whitmore explained that the service operator has the situation fixed. The actual pump wasn’t broken but the communications system that told the pump what to do needed to be reset. “He’s got it on and pumping,” Whitmore said.

She asks the residents to not put a heavy draw on the system for awhile though. “It should be okay as long as everyone doesn’t do their laundry at once,” she said.