The City of Douglas/ESG has recently been making repairs to fire hydrants in various areas of the City. During a repair, a 6” valve leading to the hydrant failed which caused a large leak in the water system on Habersham Way. Crews quickly worked to isolate the area and have completed the repairs to both the valve and hydrant. Once repairs were completed, crews began flushing hydrants as the leak had caused an increase demand on the system resulting in high turbidity and discolored water. Also, recent reports of cloudy water are a result of air in the water mains. Crews have pulled Well 4 and found a hole in the column that was causing air to enter the system when the well was pumping. The column is being replaced to prevent cloudy water in the future.
Discoloration of water may occur at various times as Water Department Officials work to improve the infrastructure and replace galvanized metal pipes with PVC piping. Discoloration occurs due to a change in direction of flow or large increases in water velocity through ferrous pipes such as cast iron, ductile iron, or galvanized. When waterlines are flushed, there may be some discoloration of water that travels through PVC piping, but, there is more discoloration in older neighborhood sections that still have metal piping.
“We are aware of the inconvenience this may cause our customers, but, we ask that customers please be patient as we deal with infrastructure issues and improvements,” says City Manager Terrell Jacobs. “If a citizen is aware of a needed repair, please report the repair to our Customer Care Center by dialing 311 or 384-3302.”
If you turn on water and notice a cloudy, rust colored appearance of your water, please make sure you run water until it runs clear to remove any rust build up in the waterline, especially before using water for washing or cooking. If the water does not run clear after ten to fifteen minutes of running please notify the Water Department at 912-389-3425 or the customer care center at 311.
