Residents of a Bucks County town who are dealing with discolored water are now worried that the town’s solution may have made things worse.
Amy Fox told NBC10 the discoloration has been an issue since she moved into her Falls Township home.
“We thought it was the water tanks,” Fox said. “About a year after living here we replaced the water tank and we’re still having problems.”
Fox complained to the Township of Falls Authority and began attending meetings, showing them pictures of the discolored water in her home.
“They said it was just flushing and could be something in the area,” Fox said. “I started going to the meetings about a year ago and I started showing them the pictures of stuff. They’ve been trying to determine what it is and they’ve been testing my water weekly, sometimes twice a week.”
Officials determined rust from old pipes in the township was causing the discoloration.
“It’s considered a nuisance,” said Timothy Hartman, executive director of the Township of Falls Authority. “At lower levels it’s not a health hazard. But it is discolored water and none of us want to see that in our drinking water.”
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On Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, the Township performed an expedited water main cleaning using HyperFlush technology to soak up the rust from the aging iron pipes. Residents say the cleaning method caused sludge and silt to go into their water however. One resident sent NBC10 a photo of discolored water in her bathtub after the cleaning.
In a letter to Township residents, Hartman called the latest water discoloration, “unexpected negative effects” from the cleaning process. Hartman apologized for the inconvenience while encouraging residents to take action themselves.
“If your faucets are slow or if your washing machine is not filling normally, you may want to remove and clean the strainers at the end of your faucets and at the hose connection to your washing machine,” he wrote. “Also if your hot water is discolored, it would be a good idea to drain your hot water heater.”
Hartman also informed residents the Township would cover any expenses caused by the water main cleaning project as long as they sent them an explanation as well as a bill.
