For the last few weeks, town water in the West End has been questionable, and Tim Pierce, of Mustang Water Authority, explained the gist in a story “Why does the water smell weird?” That story ran Aug. 5. Some in the West End are still expressing concerns about their water and posting on social media.
Pierce said two weeks ago the pond had “flipped,” meaning colder, fresher water entered the warmer, more stagnant pond. Now, he said, “It’s getting better.” On Aug. 12 Pierce said the water is clearer but still has a “musty” taste. He said that’s not a surprise, considering the current drought and heat.
Pierce said Mustang Water does add extra chlorine, because towns struggle with keeping levels at an acceptable level. He also said Nucla flushes approximately 500,000 gallons of water a year in keeping with state requirements, though that can be spread over time. So far, Nucla has flushed 150,000 gallons through the system this year.
The flushing freshens the water, ensuring there’s enough chlorine in it, .2 milligrams per liter. Pierce said there has to be enough chlorine to kill pathogens, and the information is recorded for the state.
He said Naturita’s water is worse than Nucla’s. Naturita has more problems with its system, more dead ends and also two storage tanks.
“Both sit in the hot sun and water gets stored,” he said.
Other possible causes for questionable water
Pierce has seen things on social media in the last few weeks, people posting discolored or foul-smelling water. He said perhaps someone has an issue with their water heater, which can become filled with sediment.
“If you don’t flush it, it builds up and you get it out the tap,” he said.
He said people might also have an old galvanized line that could be rusting. From the meter to the tap is the property owner’s responsibility.
Additionally, there have been line breaks in Naturita, and another one occurred on Aug. 11. Pierce said line breaks allow dirt into the water, and Public Works will flush water at a fire hydrant after a break until it clears.
When water pressure drops below 20 psi, towns are required then to issue a boil order. As such, Naturita issued a boil order last week.
And, in the midst of drought, there was also a serious flood upstream. When Telluride flooded and had mudslides in July, the San Miguel River was filled with sediment.
“We shut it off and quit drawing when it got bad,” he said, “but we are in drought.”
A citizen questioned procedure
Brent Garber called the Forum last week with questions about town water. He said even if the pond turned, the water shouldn’t have the smell or discoloration. He said more needs to be done to ensure that regardless of raw water’s condition in the reservoir, it should come out of the treatment plant in better condition.
“It should be drinkable and pass standards,” Garber said.
The Forum asked Pierce about what more Mustang Water could be doing, but Pierce said no system is perfect. He said it’s important to note that Norwood has a rapid sand filter and other chemical additions for solids. He said that’s a little more effective. On the other hand, Mustang Water has straight filtration, membrane filtration, with micro filters. The West End’s system is still effective, but perhaps not as high caliber as others'.
Pierce also said he used to run a reverse osmosis plant, and reverse osmosis does not remove taste from water, though it is a step above Mustang Water’s treatment.
The Forum asked about mixing the pond more, to integrate warm and cold water.
Pierce said it’s important to be careful when “tinkering” with the reservoir. The reservoir is the only source of water, and the operator has to make sure they don’t render it “not treatable.” There are cautions with mixing, since the zone at the bottom has no oxygen and that water could break down minerals, producing even more unpleasant odor and taste.
“If you screw it up, you could be without water,” he said.
Pierce said mixing should be done carefully. Mustang Water could look at doing more aeration next year, but the board has other priorities more pressing.
The water is safe to drink
Pierce said the reservoir is looking good right now. He also said the water is absolutely safe to drink, and he sent the Forum some information from the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment.
He added that while Mustang Water is the supplier, it’s really the two towns servicing the people. Mustang Water has taken a lot of grief the last few weeks, but providing water is a shared responsibility.
He also said many other towns are experiencing the same thing at this time.
