Water tower maintenance causes water discoloration
On Thursday, April 11, 2019, the City of Douglas Water Department conducted scheduled tank maintenance at the elevated storage tank on Pope Drive. Maintenance is performed annually to check the structural integrity of the tank and allows maintenance crews to correct any repairs as needed. Each City of Douglas water tank undergoes this process every four years.
Typically, citizens do not experience discolored water when this maintenance is done. However, due to a faulty valve, the tank was not able to be isolated completely, which caused a change in velocity in the water distribution system. This change caused iron particles that were built up on the distribution pipes to become suspended in the water which causes water discoloration. Due to the repair, some customers experienced red or brown water on Thursday.
City of Douglas/ESG Operations Water Department employees are currently flushing the system at strategic points to remove the discoloration and will continue this process until the system can be returned to normal operations. Although unsightly, at no time was the chlorine level in the water below the EPD level for disinfection.
Customers are advised to use precaution when washing clothes as it may discolor clothing. The City of Douglas Water Department has “Rust-Out” available, free of charge, to any customer who has washed clothing and clothing was discolored.
The City of Douglas apologizes for any inconvenience due to the lack of officially notifying the public due to the unforeseen needed emergency repair.
To report discolored water, please call the customer care center at 912-384-3302 or dial 3-1-1 or citizens can use the City of Douglas App, to report issues online.