• FLOODS of '08 VIDEO
Boats are allowed back in the river but some officials are still suggesting people stay away. Authorities say that now that the river level is down, many seem to forget what the Cedar River used to look like before the flood and even worse, what has been left behind.
Repairs are still being made at Water Pollution Patrol. Stephen Hershner, Environmental Manager for Cedar Rapids says the water treatment plant has it’s primary and secondary water process available. However, the disinfection process is still a no go. “That was something that was completely submerged in the flood and we are in the process of bringing that up to full operation,” says Hershner.
Until everything is back up and running at Pollution Patrol experts advice everyone in the area not to have contact with the river until Water Pollution Patrol gets their disinfection process back online. Hershner says until their machinery is fixed the river is still contaminated with a lot of very harmful bacteria.
However, the good news officials say is that the amount of large debris in the river is down. Cedar Rapids Fire Fighters say there is only two pieces left needing to be pulled out. A boat house and something city workers cannot identify just yet. Larry Stusak with the Cedar Rapids Fire Department says hopefully they will be able to have both pieces of debris pulled out sometime this week. What's in the water?
