State of Emergency Declared in Ohio County due to Water Shortage

Frazzle ice causes water shortage in Ohio, prompts State of Emergency declaration

A state of emergency has been declared in Lorain County, Ohio due to frozen water intakes in Lake Erie.

Avon Lake’s two water intakes have been blocked by ice and slush [“frazzle ice,”] idling the Avon Lake Water Filtration Plant, according to reports.

About 207,000 residential and commercial customers in Avon Lake, Medina, Avon, North Ridgeville, Sheffield and Sheffield Lake, and other users served by the Rural Lorain County Water Authority have been told to conserve water, said a report.

“The authority delivers water to LaGrange, Grafton, Grafton Township, Penfield Township, Henrietta Township, Carlisle Tonwship, Pittsfield Township and Camden Township.”

Avon’s Mayor was told that the city could lose all of its water by late Wednesday.

Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station

Lake Erie is the shallowest and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes, and hosts the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station on its shore near Monroe, Michigan.

Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 2 (Fermi 2), Dated 2007. Source: NRC

Fermi 1, a prototype fast breeder reactor, suffered a partial fuel meltdown, On October 5, 1966 and was eventually shut down by 1972.

Fermi 3, is a planned 1,520 MWe GE-designed passive Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) unit.