It's the Water

[kevin_standlee]

When I got home on Sunday, I noticed something that was happening across the street at the fire hydrant. It kept happening during the night, and Lisa said it had been going on since before I got home.



Water trucks kept appearing, tanking up from the hydrant, and going somewhere. At first I wondered if they were taking it somewhere that the city's water supply was disrupted, but that wouldn't work because, as I recall, Fernley's water supply for the fire hydrants is recycled water and is considered non-potable.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to drive to my chiropractor appointment, the driver of the truck asked if he was blocking my way out and said no, but I then asked where the water was going. He explained that they were hauling water to a temporary vehicle wash station for vehicles leaving Burning Man. Considering how much mud those vehicles are probably carrying out of the Black Rock Desert, and the story I heard this morning of area car washes not wanting them due to the clay clogging their drains, this seems like a very good idea.

Comments

[scott_sanford]

Ah, good idea! I hadn't even thought of that, but considering this year's unusual post-Burn conditions it's good that someone was ahead of the problem.

[garyomaha]

We had discussed this (sorta). Around here, car washes generally recommend against very muddy vehicles going through their system, probably for the same reason you stated. We wondered how the Fernley car washes would handle that. Now we know!

Car Washes and water pickups

[belak]

After consulting a map, I'm wondering why they would come all the way to Fernley to pick up water and truck it back. Last time I was in Reno, they had a number of fire hydrants available for use.

I totally understand car washes NOT wanting all that clay and crud in their drains though!

Re: Car Washes and water pickups

[kevin_standlee]

Fernley is 30 miles closer to Burning Man than Reno. I did not check, but I assume that the temporary wash-out was located north of Fernley and Wadsworth.