LAS VEGAS (AP) After a three-year battle to keep their underground job site from flooding, a construction crew at Lake Mead is ready to let the water win.
Workers will shut off pumps keeping the water out and allow it to fill a cavern they have carefully excavated from the rock more than 500 ft. beneath the shore.
The move will mark the latest milestone for the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s low-lake-level pumping station, a $650 million safety net for a region of 2.2 million residents and more than 40 million tourists that draws 90 percent of its drinking water from the Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam.
The pumping station, on track for completion in early 2020, will let Las Vegas keep drawing water even if the drought-stricken lake shrinks another 200 ft. to "dead pool," the point at which Hoover Dam can no longer release water downstream.
"This project is drought-driven," Erika Moonin, project manager for the Las Vegas-based authority, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal during a recent final media tour of the underground pump station forebay.
Once those pumps are off, the space should flood within three or four days.
"There aren’t very many projects like this in the world," said Jordan Hoover, project manager for Montana-based Barnard Construction Co., general contractor for the pump station.
The completed facility will be able to draw up to 900 million gal.
"In combination of depth and flow, they are the largest in the world," Moonin said.
It takes four to five truckloads to deliver a single pump.

A day after researchers reported that 42 percent of tested wells in southwest Wisconsin were contaminated, state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced he would create a task force to study state water quality.
Vos’ announcement Thursday was prompted by formal requests from lawmakers in areas plagued by drinking water that is tainted by pollutants from agriculture and faulty septic systems that can cause illness or death.
Conservationists have complained that Vos, Gov.
Scott Walker and their fellow Republicans who have controlled the Legislature since 2011 have failed to answer pleas from residents around the state whose well water is contaminated by hazardous pathogens and toxic nitrate.
The Wisconsin State Journal first reported Wednesday on initial findings of a study that found the pollutants in 301 randomly selected residential wells in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties.
Laeser said the state’s water problems were an urgent public health issue that demands science-based collaboration among state officials and all who have a stake in cleaning up Wisconsin’s water.
Nitrate in drinking water usually comes from fertilizer.
But state geologist Ken Bradbury said the rate wasn’t surprising.
It’s no secret that southwest Wisconsin has areas of thin topsoil and porous bedrock that allow surface pollutants to reach groundwater relatively easily.
And data has long been available showing high rates of contamination in southwest Wisconsin well tests obtained independently by homeowners over the last 25 years.

New Delhi, Dec 31 Over 15,000 habitations have been affected due to water contaminated by Arsenic and 400 by Uranium, the Rajya Sabha was informed Monday.
Minister of State for drinking water and sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi said out of 15,804 habitations affected due to water contaminated by Arsenic, as many as 9,250 habitations were found in West Bengal and 4,320 in Assam.
Over 400 habitations have been affected with water contaminated with Uranium, he said.
Calling rural drinking water supply a state subject, Jigajinagi said the state governments have to plan, design, approve, execute, operate and maintain the schemes for providing safe drinking water to rural population.
"The funds provided to states under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) can be utilised for providing safe drinking water to water quality affected population of the country," he said.
In reply to a separate question, he said 330 districts across the country have been affected by water contaminated by Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron, Salinity, Nitrate and heavy metal.
UZM DPB

Retests of drinking water at Mooresville’s Lake Norman High School found none of the chemical used in rocket propellant that had caused alarm last week, the school district said Thursday.
Iredell-Statesville Schools had supplied bottled water to the school after perchlorate, which can affect the thyroid, was found in water from one faucet.
Water from the suspect faucet was retested twice last week, and two additional faucets at the school were tested.
“The first reading at LNHS was really a puzzle to everyone,” Kenny Miller, assistant superintendent of facilities and planning, said in a statement Thursday.
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#ReadLocal No perchlorate had been detected in water samples taken at Lakeshore Elementary and Lakeshore Middle schools, which use the same water line that supplies Lake Norman High, Miller added.
It has asked its consultant, Reliant Environmental, how and where that could have occurred.
While long-term exposure to perchlorate causes cancer in lab rats, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry says it’s not considered likely to do so in humans.
Iredell-Statesville Schools had decided to test water at its schools in part because of controversy over lead found in water at some Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools.
A toxicologist suggested that the tests include perchlorate, which would not normally be part of them, because of the thyroid cancer issue and because some states outside North Carolina regulate the chemical in water.

Proper action should be taken to provide adequate drinking water to the public,” said District In-charge Minister G T Devegowda.
He was speaking at a meeting of the officials on drinking water supply in the city at Jaladarshini Guest House here on Sunday.
He instructed the officials to make a separate system for complaints on drinking water problem at Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and provide a telephone number to the public to air their grievances.
Officials of MCC and engineers have to organise a meeting every day to discuss drinking water problems and take action to solve the public complaints.
If there is any financial problem, it has to be brought to the notice of higher officials.
If there is a shortage of staff and officials to look after drinking water supply, write a letter to the state government.
Several areas don’t get water due to improper installation of valves.
Unduvadi and Hongalli water supply projects have to be undertaken soon and the tender holders have to complete the project in time so that the city gets enough water,” he added.
Chamaraja Constituency MLA L Nagendra, executive director of Karnataka Water Supply and Drainage Board N Jayaram, Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Sankar, MCC Commissioner KH Jagadeesha and others were present.
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Drinking water is one possible source of lead exposure.
The primary source of lead exposure for most children is lead-based paint.
Other sources of lead exposure include lead-contaminated dust or soil and some plumbing materials.
Plumbing materials including pipes, new brass faucets, fittings and valves, including “lead-free” can contribute lead to drinking water.
Steps to take to reduce exposure to lead in water: ∫ Run water to flush out lead — 15-30 seconds or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking, if not used for several hours.
∫ Replace plumbing fixtures if found to contain lead.
If lead-containing plumbing materials are identified in a home, test the water for lead to determine how much lead is in the drinking water.
New York Public Health Law requires primary health care providers to screen each child for blood lead levels at age 1 and 2 as part of routine well-child care.
If a child has not had routine well-child visits (since the age 1) and one is concerned about lead exposure to their child, contact the local health department or healthcare provider to find out how to get a child tested for lead.
For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s website: www.epa.gov/lead, or call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-5323.

They’re part of the first group to receive clean drinking water from the city utility as part of the on-going Kelowna Integrated Water project.
The Del Medico family was the first to have their water changed over.
City utility crews connected their property earlier this month, and the family is thrilled.
“The whole process has been awesome; we couldn’t be happier.
We can finally drink the water straight from the tap,” said John Del Medico.
“We waited a long time and now the water is perfect, ready to go.” Although these initial homes were connected mid-way through the project, it will take some time before other Southeast Kelowna residents are also connected to the new city water system.
“It’s a great feeling to see residents have access to clean water,” said Patrick Aylard, project manager.
“Although we could connect these first few homes because they were so close to existing City utilities, connecting other houses to the new system will take a bit longer.” RELATED: Kal/Wood Lake study cites need to protect drinking water It’s anticipated that other Southeast Kelowna residents will be connected to City water in 2020, when construction of new water mains and facilities is complete.
Construction of the Jean Road and Stellar Road facilities is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.
For more information and to sign up for project updates, visit kelowna.ca/water To report a typo, email: newstips@kelownacapnews.com.

Lars Baron/Getty Images MADISON, Wis. – Madison water utility officials say they will step up testing for toxic chemicals that are spreading from contaminated soil and groundwater at Truax Air National Guard Base on the city’s north side.
The State Journal reports that fluorinated compounds from military firefighting foam have soaked into soil and shallow groundwater on the base.
Last year the chemicals turned up in low levels at a city well nearly a mile away.
The Air National Guard has known about the contamination for at least three years but hasn’t monitored its spread, so authorities aren’t sure if levels in the well water will rise to more dangerous levels.
Fluorinated compounds have been linked to serious health problems.
Madison Water Utility spokeswoman Amy Barrilleaux says the collection of monthly samples will begin in January.
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Residents of several villages in the district have been facing hard times due to non-availability of clean drinking water and are forced to use pond water for drinking purpose and daily use.
TANK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 20th Dec, 2018 ) :Residents of several villages in the district have been facing hard times due to non-availability of clean drinking water and are forced to use pond water for drinking purpose and daily use.
Dozens of villages have no access to potable water as civic body has totally failed to supply provision of drinking water.
Due to acute shortage of drinking water and worsening situation people have been forced to bring water from far flung areas and buy water from open market.
Presently, cost of one water-cane was Rs 40 which was out of reach of poor people.
The residents of Tajori, Abi Zar, Namdari, Sharbati, Gul Imam and many other areas were facing water crisis in the district.
Moreover, people are unable to fetch water from tube-well installed by the Public Health Department due to low-voltage and long hour of power load shedding.
District Ameer of JUI-F Maulana Sharifuddin, while strongly condemning the indifferent attitude of local authorities, has demanded the high-up to take immediate notice of people’s suffering and take immediate steps to overcome drinking water shortage in number of villages.
He called upon Commissioner Dera Ismail Khan to issue directives to officials concerned to restore water supply.

Elevated perchlorate has been discovered in the Lake Norman High School’s drinking water On Dec. 18, elevated levels of perchlorate were discovered in drinking water at Lake Norman High School in Iredell County, N.C.
The Iredell-Statesville School Board has decided to provide bottled water to students and staff until further testing of the water quality is completed.
According to a press release, the school found that perchlorate levels at Lake Norman High School were particularly elevated compared to neighboring schools.
While perchlorate levels are not regulated in North Carolina, the school system recognizes the risks and has opted to provide bottled water.
The schools system hired an outside agency, Reliant Environmental, to test the district’s water quality following the discovery of elevated lead levels at a neighboring school.
“This can’t be explained.
This is one water line feeding multiple schools and the number from Lake Norman High School was astronomically high compared to other schools.” The school system ordered two additional water test to be taken this week and hope the results will return negative before students return from winter break, as reported by the Statesville Record.
“We want to get the factual information out to the public,” said Mooresville Mayor Miles Atkins.
“We’re very confident in our water supply.
It’s safe, it’s tested, it’s above standards, and people can feel confident to drink it.”