Drought + Hicks + Guns =

[Admiral Valdemar]

Hilarity.

Town’s Water Supply Drains From Bullet Holes

Water Tower Shot With High-Powered Rifle

POSTED: 12:55 pm EST January 1, 2008
UPDATED: 12:59 pm EST January 1, 2008

MAIDEN, N.C. -- In the midst of an extreme drought, a North Carolina town has lost hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that leaked from bullet holes discovered in the town’s water tower.

The town of Maiden, just south of Hickory, N.C., relies on a water tower that holds 750,000 gallons of water.

Catawba County Sheriff’s Deputy Major Coy Reid said that the tower appears to have been shot three times with a high-powered rifle. Investigators think the shooting happened sometime Monday morning.

Residents told investigators that they had heard the gunshots, but because no one called deputies, the damage was not discovered until hours later.

City officials said that the tower can’t be fixed until most of the water is drained because the repairs will have to be done from inside the holding tank.

Fixing the damage is expected to cost between $15,000 and $20,000 -- but that doesn’t include the value of the water lost during the Southeast’s worst drought in more than a century.

[J]

Hmm... a New Year's celebration gone wrong?

Hey y'all! Watch me shoot dis gun at the water tower!

[Alex Moon]

Hmm... a New Year's celebration gone wrong?

Hey y'all! Watch me shoot dis gun at the water tower!

More likely it was deliberate. My guess is someone was disgruntled and wanted to take it out on the town. A farmer perhaps, or someone elso who uses a lot of water and saw their bills go through the roof.

[Connor MacLeod]

If that's the case.. I'm sure cuasing damage and loss of precious water will do everything to lower the costs... yesirree..

[Admiral Valdemar]

Humans take the most action when angry. And it's always the less rational action at that.

[Sidewinder]

Residents told investigators that they had heard the gunshots, but because no one called deputies, the damage was not discovered until hours later.

Why is gunfire considered a non-issue in North Carolina? Sounds like there are at least three jackasses involved: the nut who shot up the water tower, and the 2+ residents who didn't call the cops after hearing the shots.

[aerius]

Why is gunfire considered a non-issue in North Carolina?

It's a hick State, gunfire is considered to be normal, especially in the more rural towns. It's kinda like "oh, that's just Billy Bob shootin' varmints in his backyard, again".

[Glocksman]

Why is gunfire considered a non-issue in North Carolina?

It's a hick State, gunfire is considered to be normal, especially in the more rural towns. It's kinda like "oh, that's just Billy Bob shootin' varmints in his backyard, again".

Also it was new year's, where a lot of idiots both urban and rural 'celebrate' by shooting guns into the air.
Never mind that pesky 'what goes up must come down' bit.

[MKSheppard]

City officials said that the tower can’t be fixed until most of the water is drained because the repairs will have to be done from inside the holding tank.

Fixing the damage is expected to cost between $15,000 and $20,000 -- but that doesn’t include the value of the water lost during the Southeast’s worst drought in more than a century.

[/quote]

WTF Just weld a metal patch over it.

[Rye]

It's possible it's galvanised or something.

[Sidewinder]

City officials said that the tower can’t be fixed until most of the water is drained because the repairs will have to be done from inside the holding tank.

Fixing the damage is expected to cost between $15,000 and $20,000 -- but that doesn’t include the value of the water lost during the Southeast’s worst drought in more than a century.

WTF Just weld a metal patch over it.

Isn't a lot of the materials used in welding-- the solder, the flux, etc.-- toxic?

[Rye]

City officials said that the tower can’t be fixed until most of the water is drained because the repairs will have to be done from inside the holding tank.

Fixing the damage is expected to cost between $15,000 and $20,000 -- but that doesn’t include the value of the water lost during the Southeast’s worst drought in more than a century.

WTF Just weld a metal patch over it.

Isn't a lot of the materials used in welding-- the solder, the flux, etc.-- toxic?

Yeah, but that shouldn't really matter if you weld the outside. You'd just put a square patch around the holes and seal it. Unless the water's still flowing through the holes anyway, in which case there's obvious electrical dangers with welding that.

Thinking about it, I have welded galvanised steel, you just need to sand the zinc off first. I suspect, then, the real problem is the water tower is just really difficult/unsafe to weld from the outside, so you need to get inside to sort it out safely.

[Ma Deuce]

Many water towers have a liner of some sort on the inside. Depending on what the liner is made of (often fiberglass), it may have to be replaced entirely if it's punctured.

[SpacedTeddyBear]

Why is gunfire considered a non-issue in North Carolina?

It's a hick State, gunfire is considered to be normal, especially in the more rural towns. It's kinda like "oh, that's just Billy Bob shootin' varmints in his backyard, again".

I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually trying to shoot fireworks out of the sky. I lived in Missouri for a couple of months when I was little, and my uncle had tried to shoot morters and rockets out of the sky with his shotgun during the 4th of July.

[His Divine Shadow]

Well, did he hit any? Sounds like an interesting alternative to trap or skeet

[SpacedTeddyBear]

Well, did he hit any? Sounds like an interesting alternative to trap or skeet

Couldn't remember, it was almost 2 decades ago. Though I do have a memory of me lighting a device that shot thick gobs of sparks behind his butt. Though now that I've wised up a bit, it was probably not a good idea to do such a thing to anyone holding a shotgun.