If you saw College Station firefighters running water into street gutters in Southwood Valley on Friday, don’t be alarmed. They were not wasting water or time. In fact, they were using innovation to save both.
Two weeks ago, the pond in Brothers Pond Park was drained to assist in a criminal investigation by the College Station Police Department. With drought conditions persisting, it initially was decided that the pond should recharge naturally, even though the chances were slim. But concerns of potential safety hazards arose since the pond contained significant drop-offs, and the decision was made to refill the pond. That’s where the innovative skills of College Station’s city staff stepped into the picture.
A scheduled training exercise for the College Station Fire Department required the use of about 10,000 gallons of water, so why not reuse that water to help fill the thirsty pond? The CSFD conducted its training near the park on Friday, with the resulting runoff flowing down the gutters and into the pond. The exercise took about four hours.
While the water from the training operation supplied only a small portion of what’s needed to refill the pond, it showed that through teamwork and innovation our precious resources can be used efficiently. Thanks to the hard work of the city’s Fire, Water Services and Parks and Recreation departments, Brothers Pond Park will be back to its old self in a few days.
