From my experience, city water supplies and land line phones usually
function even during a power outage. Phone companies have batteries
and backup generators, and I assume that utility companies have
something similar for water pumps. However, in the case of a long-term
power outage, how long would these utilities continue to function if
it is not possible to refuel the generators? Also, is backup power
fully automated, so that it will work even if no one is there to run
things?

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Clarification of Question by stephml-ga on 04 Feb 2006 23:18 PST

Thanks for your comment, kbrowntx. Just to clarify, I'm not posting
the question primarily because I'm afraid of this scenario. I'm trying
to get the details right for a story I'm writing. When you say the
phones might work indefinitely... there has to be a limit to that, if
there is absolutely no way to recharge batteries or refuel generators.
A week? month? years? what makes you say indefinitely?

I live in central Florida. Our water supply is primarily pumped out of
an underground aquifer. Water towers exist, but are few and far
between. Mainly they are only in the smaller towns, and I am more
concerned about a larger city.

Phones might last indefinitely.  Make sure one of yours is a plain old
corded phone -- not needing batteries or power supply.
Water pressure will drop once the elevated tanks/standpipes go dry.
Cities might be able to pump enough for bare essentials -- drinking,
cooking, 'necessary' flushing, but might choose not to do it due to
contamination liability. Have water purification tablets for suspect
water. Or boil in a pressure cooker for 20-30 min.   Electrcity is
normally restored to utilities, hospitals, etc. first, when possible.
You don't give your location.  
If you live in multifamily housing, keep seven to ten days supply of
water, canned /dry food, medicines (always re-order Rx before you run
low).  Plan to cook using your camp stove (with fuel) on the balcony.
If you live in single-family dwelling in the city, add a gen-set and
plenty of fuel.  Make sure it has good capacity and is REALLY QUIET,
lest your neighbors become furious.  Plan to share some electricity
twice daily for their freezers.  Have 14-gauge extension cords with
appropriate recepticles to get the power where you need it.  DO NOT
EVER run the genset indoors! Have a shotgun with #2 or BB shot.
If you live in rural area, you have more options. Add a rifle if you
are capable with it.

Sorry, I overlooked the no re-fuel part.

The telcom exchanges obviously have generators, but I do not know how
much fuel they have on hand.  Probably enough for several hours;
perhaps a day or so.  But if the devastation to an area were so bad
that they could not replenish, then probably a few days or a week at
best.  But that is conjecture on my part.  Maybe someone who works for
water & telcom utilities will comment. You might try calling some.

You also mentioned how long utilities would stay on if there were no
workers to operate them.   The phone back-up generators could kick on
automatically, but if there were no operators to keep things going,
they could go down anytime.  A water utility would be even quicker to
go down with no one to make decisions; no one to turn valves, start
pumps, etc.  They tend to be less automated.

If any of these outfits were evacuating ALL personnel in advance of a
hazard, they wouild likely shut it down in an orderly fashion, to make
later start-up easier.  They would not be prone to leave things
running unattended.

Hope this helps.  I worked for a major engineering/construction
company who design & build offshore platforms, remote tanker ports,
pipelines, etc., all of which have their own utilities and/or back-up
systems, with operating procedures.

Virtually all water utilities have towers.  Small towns have the
obvious one on the hill; big cities have several, but they are less
obvious, as they are spread around and painted sky blue.  The towers
are there primarily to maintain the proper pressure, not to store a
lot of water for future use.  The utility turns pumps on & off to meet
demand.  When all the pumps quit at once, the tanks run dry quickly. 
As the water level drops down the standpipe part of the tower, the
pressure drops rapidly.  A water system will have many wells with
pumps geographically spread around putting water into the network of
pipes at various places as needed.   The towers are fewer, and are
placed where needed to best keep pressures uniform.  Water flows to
and from the towers as needed.  The mainline near your house may have
water flowing toward the tower at 0400, but with few pumps running;
but flowing away from the tower at 0700, with all pumps running, when
demand is high.

Just curious, were my answers helpful, and did you find more specific
info from utilities or elsewhere?  Are you writing a novel or a
non-fiction.  I have helped a novelist before, which may be my only
contribution to literature.  KB in Houston

KB:  I'm writing a novel (In my free time around work... which doesn't
leave much time for extensive research.) Your answers are very
helpful! I have not found any more specific information yet, but
you've given me enough that I honestly may not need more. None of my
characters would know the details about how utilities function... I
just need to know if their phones and water work or not. ;) I will
leave the question posted just in case I get some interesting detail
that I can include, but you have definitely fulfilled your second
contribution to literature! I will include "KB in Houston" in my
acknowledgements. (Seriously!)

I'll have to pay more attention and see if I can find those missing water towers. :)

As City Manager for a municipality ont he west coast of Florida I can
tell you that our water plant has a generator with a reserve for 3
full days of continuous operation.  During seasonal hurricanes we keep
an additional 4 days supply and have an agreement that makes us a
priority receiver of fuel shipments when supplies are reinstated. When
running on generators there is no difference from normal operations. 
Possible contamination comes from a large drop in pressure or
stagnation of water in lines.

Here in Florida there is another problem besides water... that is the
transport of sewage. Since our flat lands do not allow for gravity
feed of sewage waste, lift stations are installed to keep the waste
flowing. Most lift stations for sewage treatment do not have back-up
generators to pump the waste to a treatment facility.  We utilize
portable generators that are transported on trailers to the various
lift stations to keep waste flowing.

Hope this helps with your research.

That's very helpful, citymgr! I had no idea about the sewage problem,
and it's great to have solid information about the water plant,
especially since you are in my area. Thanks!

Glad you finally got some good info from someone who knows.  KB, Houston