BOISE, Idaho — Some East End residents are having trouble with heating and water this week, and the problem is stemming from the construction on Warm Springs Ave.
- The project started back in August. As it continues, residents are being shifted to the Boise water line. The added users has created capacity issues. Homes impacted are having heating problems.
- Every resident who spoke with Idaho News 6 said the cold is just a small obstacle for the project that they think will do good things for the neighborhood.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
On Boise’s first snow of the season, Rob Tiedemann, like most people, is shoveling his sidewalk.
But, at least right now, there isn’t much warmth to escape to when goes back inside.
“It’s 55 degrees," Rob told Idaho News 6 about how cold it was in his home.
Rob, like others who get their heat from the geothermal lines along Warm Springs Ave., has been having issues with heating his home and not having hot water this week.
“We normally run hot water at 18 psi and it’s running at about 8 psi, less than half.”
It stems back to the construction that has been going on since August.
The Boise Warm Springs Water District is replacing its main line that dates back to the 1970s.
That main line is how nearly 300 people heat their homes and water.
Everyone I spoke with on Friday told me it’s a much needed project because the line is past its lifespan.
“Through the project, there has been a lot of unknowns," Said Scott Lewis. "Because a lot of stuff has been buried in Warm Springs that we did not know.”
Scott Lewis is the technician for the Water District. He explained to me as the construction has moved East, patrons have been shifted to the city's water line.
With the uptick in people using the water, as well as the colder temperatures, water pressure has slowed.
“Their system is not designed to take on this type of capacity," Rob said.
It’s impacting people differently…
Some people who are hooked up to the water district have backups and don’t feel too much difference. Some people, like Rob, don’t have backups. Others are only seeing impacts to their second or third floors because the pressure isn’t enough to heat upstairs.
Back at Rob’s place, he’s shoveled his sidewalk in shorts. He says he’s used to the cold and he’s only had to change a few habits.
“The first thing I notice is I go to bed earlier and snuggle under the covers because there ain't much to do about this," Rob said.
Lewis told me, the problem is expected to be resolved soon.
“It’s going to be a little bit of a late day, but we’ll have everything going by this weekend," Lewis said.
Rob is optimistic. He says the Water District always does a good job with their projects and the end goal is worth some hiccups.
“We live with the quirkiness of it," Rob said. "It’s an old system, it’s being upgraded, I’m grateful for that. It’ll be better tomorrow than it was yesterday and we just struggle through some of the tough times to get there."
