Even during the COVID-19 crisis, the City of Dayton says its water department continues to provide residents clean water every single day. And they’re instituting some new protections for staff.
Keshia Kinney is a division manager with the Dayton Water Department. She says workers are observing social distancing while on the job.
“The water operators that make sure that you have clean, safe drinking water, their working areas are isolated from the rest of the division,” she says. “We also have started doing enhanced disinfection of their area, so their workspaces are disinfected at the beginning of their shift and at the end of their shift, and we still continue to work 24 hours a day.”
The city has lowered staffing levels within the water sanitation department. And right now, sewer repair crews are only responding to emergencies. The city says routine cleaning of the sewer system has been temporarily suspended, but plans are to resume normal operation when full staffing levels return on May 18. Staff will continue to use PPE and additional safely measures while on the job.
Dayton water customers who are having trouble paying their bills have been protected from having their service shut-off during the COVD-19 crisis.
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