Detroit Water Department Fires Security Firm

Sept. 11, 2002
A security firm hired in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks to protect Metro Detroit's drinking-water reservoirs was fired Tuesday, after one of its guards was arrested for drunken driving 17 miles from his nearest assigned reservoir.

Detroit water department chief Victor Mercado ended a $3.7 million contract with the security firm, JOWA Associates, just hours after the incident at 10:50 p.m. Monday. The worker's shift would have ended 10 minutes later.

"The security of the system is of the utmost importance," Mercado said. "We will not tolerate anything that might jeopardize that."

The Detroit water system serves 4 million people in 126 southeast Michigan cities.

Another company will be hired immediately to maintain security at 21 major drinking water reservoirs across the region, Mercado said.

The shake-up comes one month after Mercado pledged to improve JOWA's performance in response to reports in The Detroit News that JOWA guards were not properly patrolling reservoirs, leaving them vulnerable to sabotage. The JOWA problems underscore longstanding gaps in the region's drinking-water security, including broken alarms and fences around reservoirs.

JOWA Chief Executive Brenda Gissendanner said late Tuesday she was shocked to learn of the contract termination and planned to protest after consultation with her attorney.

Source: The Detroit News

Sponsored Recommendations

Strut Comparison Chart

March 12, 2024
Conduit support systems are an integral part of construction infrastructure. Compare steel, aluminum and fiberglass strut support systems.

Energy Efficient System Design for WWTPs

Feb. 7, 2024
System splitting with adaptive control reduces electrical, maintenance, and initial investment costs.

Blower Isentropic Efficiency Explained

Feb. 7, 2024
Learn more about isentropic efficiency and specific performance as they relate to blowers.

How to Build a Better Blower Station

Feb. 7, 2024
Designing a blower aeration system for a wastewater treatment plant has many moving pieces. Each contributes to the overall health and efficiency of the system and the impact ...