Residents in Airway Heights feeling water constraints amid possible chemical contamination from Fairchild Air Force Base

The thought on everyone’s mind behind the Yoke’s grocery store in Airway Heights Wednesday morning was, “Where’s the water?” “Everybody’s out,” said Martha Grall, as she smoked a cigarette outside of her car. Behind her’s was a line of eight others waiting patiently for a water shipment that was supposed to arrive at 7 a.m., but was more than two hours late. When news broke late last night that water from city pipes likely is contaminated with chemical runoff from Fairchild Air Force Base, word quickly spread that city officials were handing out bottled water. Crowds of more than 100 began arriving to the area behind the grocery store Tuesday night. Firefighters and volunteers handed out more than 300 packs of water by 9:15 p.m. But by 7 a.m. the next morning, all of the water was gone – about 700 gallons total, said Mitch Metzger, fire chief for Airway Heights. Another shipment of about several thousand gallons was due this morning, according to deputy fire chief Nate Whannell, but volunteers and water-less residents were left scratching their head. Metzger said the city ordered the water from Food Services of America. He said a…

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