- Residents in a Valley have experienced intermittent brown water from their faucets for two years, raising concerns about water safety and quality.
- City officials attribute the issue to sediment caused by disturbances in the water system, linked to old pipes and increased water usage, with complaints rising from 10 to nearly 80 in May alone.
- The city is flushing hydrants to address the problem, while residents seek solutions and reimbursement for damages, with hopes that the sediment will be cleared by early next week.
Neighbors Express Concerns Over Water Quality in Valley
Residents in Valley are worried about the safety of their water supply. Brown water has been pouring from their faucets intermittently for the past two years, they say.
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“I saw my water like this yesterday morning,” said Victoria August, who described her sink’s condition on Tuesday.
“You see the black sediment that has settled at the bottom. It looks like coffee grounds,” she added, noting that the discoloration persisted for days.
“When the water refilled, it was as dark and darker,” August continued.
But it’s not just her. “Everybody's got pictures, and they're posting them,” she said. “This is one my neighbors sent me over the weekend — it’s from inside their washing machine.”
According to the city, the issue is attributed to sediment caused by disturbances in the local water system. City Administrator Cameron Gales explained that this problem has occurred multiple times in the last few years.
“The weather got so warm so soon, so people were, you know, filling pools early and watering their lawn to save it, and so that was a huge draw on what was currently available, and it probably disturbed a lot of the sediment from the draw,” Gales said. “When you have minerals like manganese in the pipes, and it gets flushed abruptly, you can see significant disturbances leading to widespread issues.”
Last month, 10 residents reported discolored water. That number surged to nearly 80 so far in May. In response, the city is taking steps to flush hydrants to alleviate the situation.
“It’s definitely something we’re considering as we look to update our infrastructure, like most cities. We want to ensure it can handle these concerns regarding frequency and duration of the problem,” Gales said.
August and her neighbors are now seeking solutions, expressing frustration over the recurring issues and asking for reimbursement for wasted water.
“They're throwing away clothes because they're ruined. They can’t get the stains out,” she said. “People are forced to buy bottled water for cooking and drinking, but they still have to use the discolored water for showering and laundry.”
Residents with discolored water are advised to run the water line outside of their homes and notify city officials.
In an ideal scenario, the city hopes the sediment will be flushed out by early next week.
