In this time of bad news from our Yakima city officials (either raise taxes or close Harman Center, the pool, reduced fire and police departments), here is some good news: Three of the employees of the irrigation department gave outstanding work in a bad situation.
Let me explain.
On April 1, the city turned on the irrigation water. By April 4, late Saturday afternoon, we discovered water, lots of water, in our basement.
I called the city, and Brad and a young man from the irrigation department promptly came and shut the irrigation water off. We (son and wife and I) water vacced all that evening and all the next day and Monday, but by then the water coming in had clearly slowed down.
Early Monday, Rick and Brad came from the city and were most interested/helpful in trying to find the leak 鈥 clearly related to the irrigation water turn-on. But no luck, so on Tuesday, Rick came and he and I consulted maps then tromped around in our yard and then the neighbors鈥 yards and found two unknown shutoffs and shut them off also.
So now, all irrigation shutoffs to the property were shut off. Two were unknown, because we live in a home built in 1917 when it was way out in the country and surrounded by orchards. But now in 2026 it is in the city and surrounded by streets, houses and paved driveways.
So everything was shut off and no more water was coming into the basement. Then Brad would come every other day and then turn on one shutoff at a time, until several days later we had all shutoffs turned on and still no water in the basement.
What was the problem? Where was the leak? We never did find out.
I have never heard of a water leak sealing itself off, but ... the irrigation guys were most understanding and certainly worked hard to find the leak.
Those three city irrigation employees (Rick, Brad and ??) set a good example of what the term "public servant" means.
Paul Schafer retired after teaching history and civics at Eisenhower High School.聽
