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Jay Van Hoose, superintendent of Rocky Mount's water treatment plants, describes the effects of Hurricane Floyd on the city's water system. Rocky Mount's two water treatment plants were the Sunset Avenue and the Tar River Reservoir plants. The night of the storm, Hoose could not get to the Sunset plant, so he stayed at the Reservoir plant. Both plants lost power. Although the city lost water, there was never any water contamination. Hoose describes the precautionary boil water advisory that was put in place when the water pressure fell below safe levels. Crews went through the city and pressurized every section of water. Additional problems faced by Rocky Mount's water treatment plants included starting to run out of chemicals, rumors about the city's water, and employees unable to get to work. The city did help other smaller communities, many of which were on well water, test samples and treat their water. Hoose also describes the history and impressive architecture of the Sunset plant. Finally, he discusses how floodwaters do not discriminate among economic classes, leading to large-scale destruction. He says that the flood taught his industry how to be even more proactive rather than reactive.

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