Water Pipe Replacement - 1978/79

contributed by Tom Page

One artifact of the Air Force using this old WWII Army installation was that the underground metal water pipes were old and rusty, and many branches terminated at buildings no longer there (the pipes were just capped off). As a consequence, any time our water pressure got low, rust-filled water from all those side branches would back flow into the main line. The water that came out of the spigots all over the base varied from pink to a reddish brown! And I cannot even begin to describe how it tasted and smelled! All porcelain fixtures (bath tubs, sinks, toilets, etc.) were dark brown on the inside in no time flat. At times, the tap water tasted more like medicine than water. Some people gagged when they tried to drink it. Many people refused to drink the tap water, and bought bottled water instead. The water did test safe for bacteria content, but it simply tasted awful. Finally, after years of complaints, the station civil engineer was able to obtain funding to install a whole new water system. They laid down PVC pipes all over the station (circa 1978). Talk about "night and day" differences! The water tasted a whole lot better after that! It tasted like ... water. Ah, the memories.

The following photos show the water-pipe replacement, needed for so long.


Looking east, main sidewalk from admin area to radar/ops area; security shack seen at end.


Looking south, sidewalk between admin area and barracks.


Looking north, from near BOQ. In background is Supply (left) and bowling alley (right).