Four days after a broken pipe flooded several offices at the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, signs have begun appearing throughout the flooded building warning of polluted drinking water.
Coffee pots and cups stayed empty throughout the usually well-caffeinated offices of the department's Criminal Investigative Division this morning, prompted by fears caused by bad-smelling - and looking - water coming from the taps.
Chief Deputy Sid Hatfield said he noticed problems with the water on Monday. Shortly after lunch, water in the administrative break room began to emit a "foul odor."
"I have no idea what that was but I know it's not the normal smell of water," Hatfield said.
Experts from the city's utilities department tested the liquid from different parts of the building and it appears the problem is isolated to CID, administration and the downstairs jail administration parts of the building.
Sheriff, please, are you going to do something???
We all know that a new building is wanted & possibly needed but the one they are currently in should be fixed & made livable until there is enough money to warrant a new one (note - "until there is enough money"). I don't see the need for an article or press release every time something goes wrong in this building that they want to replace in order to garner public support for the spending. I'd like a new house, would the Chronicle please print an article every time my pipes rattle or our yard floods?
They could put them in portable classroom buildings. GE Credit has tons of portable office buildings to lease.
About two weeks ago our water main broke and the city spent all day fixing it. After it was repaired the water had to run a long time to get rid of the junk in the pipes. This is a natural occurance with major water pipe damage and the maintenance people assigned to maintain this building for the taxpayers should have been able to fix it. Wait a minute, do they have any dedicated maintenance people or are they waiting for the place to self destruct? I would vote for the later.
There is a need to report these stories. Because the next thing coming are lawsuits, and the taxpayers of RC are going to get thumped. I figure that there will soon be a Federal lawsuit claiming cruel and unusual punishment for prisoners- because no one should be forced to live in mold-polluted environments, nor should any one be expected to work in such conditions. And then they will be put under Federal court order to build a new building. And maybe that's what the commissioners are waiting for, so that they can say "It's a court order! We have to do it! Let's do a study, hey, this will cost millions, but the JOBS will bring economic benefits to the CSRA (eyeroll), and the taxpayers have to pay for it! " As for putting sheriff deputies in portable buildings? You're ok with convicted criminals being in those flimsy buildings that even I could break out of? Jails are built like they are to keep the prisoners in. On another note... Listen to the Wiz and Deke. If Augusta gets any more of these so-called "economic benefits", A-RC will go bankrupt. It'll be the first county in the US to go bankrupt because of "economic benefits".
C-mom you need to read the article before you spout off. There is not going to be any prisoner generated lawsuits or federal mandates because the water does not affect the prisoner population. The continued problems are and have always been isolated to CID, administration and the downstairs jail administration parts of the building. Only our fine employees have to put up with this crap. The prisoners actually have it better in that building than the county employees.
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