Corvallis, Ore., Can Purify Water Fast in an Emergency - Government Technology

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The system will require a lot of expertise to operate. Currently, the trailer sits at the Public Works campus where staff from Public Works, Fire and Emergency Response departments will be trained on how to use the mini facility.

April 30, 2024 • 

Kosiso Ugwuede, Corvallis Gazette-Times, Ore.

(TNS) - Building out its emergency preparedness toolkit, the city of Corvallis recently took receipt of a purification system trailer to provide water for use during emergencies that cause drinking water to become unsafe or unavailable.

"In Salem, they had in 2018, when Detroit Lake had an algae bloom, they lost their ability to distribute potable water to the community," Corvallis Fire Emergency Planning Manager Dave Busby said, standing in front of the trailer on an overcast Friday, April 26.

In the aftermath, the city struggled to provide and distribute safe drinking water to the community.

Through a State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment, or SPIRE, grant, more than 170 pieces of emergency response equipment have been made available to various city, county and Tribal governments around the state to reduce the risks of fatalities and property damage from a small or large scale emergency.

For Corvallis, that took the form of a water purification system trailer.

Don't let the term "trailer" fool you, Busby said. It's not necessarily mobile, rolling from one location to another.