The “Boil Water” notice is out again in Rhododendron.
In January a rapid thaw raised the turbidity level in Henry Creek to an unsafe
level and residents on the Rhododendron Water Association were forced to
boil.

At exactly 4:55 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, a Douglas fir did the job on the Rhody
residents.

It was a tall order, but the 200-foot fir was up to the task, taking out the
filtration facility on Henry Creek. Laminated root rot caused the giant to snap
off at the base.

The fir slammed into the filtration facility, knocking out the filtering system
that allows the Rhody water to be up to safe-drinking standards set by the
Safe Drinking Act. The conifer spared the 100,000 gallon redwood storage
tank, coming in at a slight angle and missing the mark.

“The tree hit with such force it blew the walls out of the (filtra-
tion) unit,” said Steve Graeper, president of the association. “It’s a 100
percent loss.”

Hours went by – the alarm system was destroyed as well – before a passerby
noticed the tree sticking through the roof of the facility and notified water
board member Merv Novinger, who in turn contacted RWA Watermaster David
Jacob.

Graeper called an emergency meeting of the water board and Rhody residents
at the Mt. Hood Food Store, and the boil water notices went flying out the
door.

“We knew we’d be out of water soon,” Graeper said. “We had 400 boil water
orders and they were all delivered by 5 p.m.”

The storage tank, with no water coming in due to the damaged filtration
system, ran out at 6 p.m. With Jacob spearheading the repair effort – a
matter of bypassing the filters – the tank began the refilling process by 7 p.m.
The order warns to not drink the water without boiling it first. The danger is
that fecal coliform (or E. coli) bacteria was found in the water supply that
evening.

The filtration facility was built in 1997, and all the filtering cartridges were
online by 2000. Oddly, Henry Creek has provided water to the homes and
businesses since 1921 when the association was formed.

“As of right now, the water in the tank going to the homes is exactly like it
was from 1921 until 1997,” Graeper said.

The association serves 350-plus homes and businesses in Rhody.

For the most part, residents and proprietors forged ahead despite the
inconvenience.

“I am not worried about the water safety as the way the system is running
now is the same as it did for many years prior to the filtration plant being
built,” said Rhody resident Pat McAbery. “And there were never any problems
then.”

Brigette Romeo, owner of the Still Creek Inn, took it all in stride.

“Hey, this is the second time,” she said. “Everything’s easier the second time
around. It is kind of expensive though. We have to buy ice, canned sodas and
such. But other than that, it’s just business as usual, except we’re boiling lots
of water.”

All Seasons Property Management is making certain their customers are
aware of the water situation.

“They have to sign a waiver before renting, saying they’ll boil the water and
not hold us responsible,” said Mary DeMarco, director of marketing for the
property company. “We’re also offering to move people to other houses (out
of the RWA area). Only one has taken us up on that, mainly because there
was an 87-year-old staying there.”

The filter structure must be torn down, and the association is seeking
alternative means of supplying water to its customers, which include installing
portable filters, or tying into a neighboring system, like the Lady Creek
system east of the RWA service area.

“We’re doing everything we can,” Graeper said. “This is unfortunate, but we
live in a forest where things like this happen.”

He was careful to predict when the boil water order would be lifted.

“I can’t promise anything before Christmas,” he said.

“Much of this is simply out of our hands.”