Columbus City Council leaders said yesterday they heard from residents whose water service was shut off during this week's extreme heat and pressed the city utility to turn the taps back on. Council President Shannon G. Hardin and Councilmember Christopher L. Wyche said Columbus Water & Power acknowledged the shutoffs "should not have occurred" and that crews were working to restore service. City officials said about 300 households were expected to have water back by the end of the day.
Council Presses Utility for Fixes and Customer Help
In a post on Facebook, Columbus City Council published a statement from Hardin and Wyche saying they "heard from residents whose water service was shut off during this week's extreme heat" and that Columbus Water & Power agreed the shutoffs "should not have occurred." The statement said crews were working to restore service and that about 300 households should have water again by the end of the day.
The post directed customers to call customer service at 614-645-8276 or the water emergency line at 614-645-7788. Those numbers are also listed on Contact Columbus Water & Power.
Climate, Planning and Oversight
Hardin and Wyche added that "policies must keep pace with climate change because extreme weather is becoming more common" in the council's Columbus City Council statement.
MORPC's Sustaining Scioto adaptive management plan urges utilities to develop emergency plans, backup power and alternative supplies to maintain service during extreme events.
City records ordering Columbus Water & Power to report on customer delinquency and operations by June 30, and local reporting on the utility's infrastructure work underscore the oversight and capital push, see Legistar and WOSU for details.
What Residents Should Do
Residents still without water should call Columbus Water & Power's customer service line at 614-645-8276 during business hours or the after-hours water emergency number at 614-645-7788. Contact Columbus Water & Power posts instructions for reporting outages, leaks and billing questions.
Council leaders said they will continue to push for a formal policy barring shutoffs during extreme weather and for better communication with customers while crews finish restorations.
