Village water system customers have posted on Facebook and contacted the news media to bring attention to water clarity issues, but Mayor Kevin Katley told the Teche News they would get better results by contacting the water company.
“We have a large system that has generally been neglected for 40 to 60 years,” he said Tuesday. “We pass every monthly test for quality. We have installed 20 automatic flush valves and will add more as time goes on.”
He continued, “The reddish-brown stain people sometimes see in the water is caused by iron deposits that have settled in the pipes over the years. It is harmless, but I know it’s annoying to customers.”
Kately said that the problems are temporary and are most prevalent in dead-end lines. The flushing program that will remedy the problem can also stir up sediment further down the line. “We may need to add fire hydrants to allow better flushing of some of those lines.”
He added, “If customers would call the Village and tell us when they are experiencing discolored water, we can go right out and flush the pipes in that area. For some reason some of them would rather call the news media.”
Another thing that would help, he said, is for customers to register with the system for on-line notifications. They would get notices about flushing and possible temporary discoloration. “Out of 4,000 customers, only 300 have registered,” Kately added.
There are solutions to solve the problem sooner. A second well would increase water pressure and make flushing more effective, but that would cost from $5 to $7 million and would require a bond issue that would have to be secured by water rate increases.
“It would double or triple water bills, the mayor says. “We aren’t going to do that. There is not a health or safety issue at stake.”
“We are fighting a battle we inherited. I get calls all the time saying how the system has improved. The flushing program will take care of the problem, but it takes time to solve a problem that was 60 years in the making.”
