Press Release – Water
Press Release – Water Discoloration
Recently, some of our water customers have experienced discolored water (yellow/brown water) coming out of their faucets at home.
The City of Ballinger would like to let our customers know that we are aware of the problem and we are working to clear the water. We have had the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality come out to the Water Plant and have had them observe our flushing procedures. Additionally, the City has contracted with an “A – Surface Water License” holder, to consult with our Water Plant personnel, in order to resolve the current situation with the water discoloration.
There is absolutely no health concern regarding the water quality. All Municipal water systems, including the City of Ballinger, are required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to have a third party, test samples on a weekly basis. If a potential problem exist, a Boil Water Notice would be issued by the City of Ballinger.
The City of Ballinger currently receives our raw water from both Lake Ivie and the Ballinger Lake. Due to the recent cooling of temperatures or “seasonal change”, the Ballinger Lake is experiencing the natural phenomena of turning over, which cycles an abnormal amount of organic vegetation from the bottom of the lake to the top of the lake.
Due to this natural occurrence in our lake, our Water Plant has had to adjust the level of Sodium Permanganate that is added to the water, for proper treatment, in order to treat the level of Manganese we are receiving from our Ballinger Lake water supply.
Sodium Permanganate, is an oxidizer that we use to treat our drinking water. When the treated water is exposed to oxygen, it will have a brown tint to it.
In most areas, in Ballinger, the water is clearing up, however, in some areas, where water usage may be low, some of the water sits in the water lines longer, where the discoloration becomes more prevalent.
The City now believes that the problem is corrected at the Water Plant, a flushing program is established, in order to clear the main water lines of the discolored water. We anticipate that the issues with our water will be resolved as soon as the discolored water has been flushed out of our distribution system.
If you have any questions, please contact Tommy Turney at 325-245-1166.
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