nothin RWA: You Can Drink The Water | New Haven Independent

RWA: You Can Drink The Water

(Updated) New Haven should expect its water to stay brown through the heat wave, but most people should feel comfortable drinking it, according to the water authority.

The Regional Water Authority (RWA) scrambled Wednesday to respond to widespread concern about muddy water coming through the tap over the past two days, as a heat wave slammed the city.

Increased demand from homes and liberated” fire hydrants (such as the one in the video, in the Hill neighborhood) led the water to turn brown, according to the RWA.

New Haven households reported the problem beginning Monday night. Reports became widespread Tuesday and lasted into Wednesday morning.

Messages poured onto social networking sites Tuesday trying to figure out what was going on. The brown water stretched across the city, with reports in East Rock, Fair Haven, Dwight, Wooster Square, Westville and downtown. It reached the faucets of City Hall and the soda fountain at Sally’s Apizza, according to contributors’ posts.

After much speculation, the RWA issued a public announcement on its website Wednesday at 10 a.m. explaining the problem.

Spokeswoman Kate Powell said Wednesday that the dark color comes from sediment stirred up by extra-high water flow due to high demand. Illegal open fire hydrants are a major draw on the system, she said.

The high flow of water scoured” the water mains, scraping up sediment that is usually sitting happily” in the pipes, Powell said. The RWA suspects the sediment may contain zinc or manganese. It is testing the brown water and expects to get results back today, Powell said.

Contributed Photo

Despite its unappealing” appearance, the water is OK to drink, according to Powell.

It is not harmful,” she said. It is no different from the clear water, except that it has stuff floating around in it.”

She stopped short of calling the water safe,” because it may not be safe for people with compromised immune systems.

As of Wednesday, East Rockers reported their water had cleared up somewhat, but remained too dirty to use for washing white clothes.

City spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said the RWA is handling the problem, not the city.

RWA gave several recommendations for what to do:

It is a personal choice whether or not to use the discolored water for showering, flushing toilets, cleaning floors, etc.

To drink lightly discolored water, fill a container, put it in your refrigerator to cool and let the color settle to the bottom. When ready to drink, use the clear water from the top of the container. You should use caution if you wash clothes, especially light colored ones, in your washing machine. Check the condition to your water to prevent staining.”

The water won’t return to normal until the demand falls, Powell said.

The RWA serves water to 430,000 customers in 15 towns in southern Connecticut. When the heat wave struck, demand jumped from 57 million gallons per day to 82 million gallons per day, Powell said. She said the RWA received complaints from people in New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Hamden, and parts of Milford and Orange. All 15 towns were at risk of having brown water, but the problem tends to be worse in areas of high population density, she said.

It really has to do with people,” she said. It’s so hot out. People need water. It’s just a high demand. There’s really not a lot we can do.”

Powell said in the past, customers have suffered brown water for a brief amount of time, when someone in the neighborhood opens a fire hydrant. This year’s problem is more severe, she said.

It hasn’t happened to this degree probably for 15 years,” Powell said.

The RWA outlined a couple of ways that people can assist: Restrict your lawn-watering to the early morning hours. And be on the lookout for open fire hydrants: due to widespread illegal hydrant openings contributing to the high flows of water, please call your local fire department if you see an open hydrant.” The New Haven fire department can be reached during business hours at 203 – 946-6222.

If RWA consumers have questions, they can call 203 – 562-4020.

Powell acknowledged the RWA was delayed in getting the word out to customers. The utility posted the advice on its website at 10 a.m. Wednesday. At that time, it also began sending out warnings to people who signed up for Code Red Alerts on the RWA website.

Contributed Photo

In lieu of an official announcement by the RWA Tuesday, comments ran fast and furious on SeeClickFix. A commenter named Daisy posted these two photos — one of a white bowl filled with tap water, the other of the sediment it left behind.

Others debated whether to bathe in the water.

My fiancee just took a shower and she did not die!” one commenter reported.

Another reported the muddy water had soiled a load of laundry.

Had to rewash our whites!” Kmherb wrote.

Meanwhile, water was flowing fast and furious at the intersection of Frank and West streets in the Hill Tuesday evening. Neighborhood kids cooled off in the spray — and shared” it with passing motorists, whether they wanted it or not. An occasional driver got a pass, but that was the exception. Click on the play arrow at the top of the story to watch the action.

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