BATHURST Regional Council received around 50 calls on Wednesday from customers complaining of discoloured water.
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Council’s Manager of Water and Waste Russell Deans said the calls came from various locations across the city.
“In response to the calls council has dispatched crews to assist those residents and businesses and in some locations is flushing mains to clear the pipes.”
Mr Deans said the discolouration was a result of the high levels of rain in the Fish River catchment area in the last week.
“There has been a heap or rain, resulting in a lot of sediment coming down the river system placing added pressure on our filtration system.”
Mr Deans said the change in water chemistry and temperature had caused the iron and manganese to become visible and discolour the water. "Discoloured water is usually caused by the build-up of manganese in the city’s pipes, which can be flushed out with an increase of water going through the system.”Mr Deans said the manganese, which is a naturally occurring element that comes in from the soil in the catchment area, poses no health concern.
Samples of water from various test sites around the system are tested weekly and sent to the NSW Department of Health lab in Sydney for testing and monitoring of results.
Mr Deans said the results show that the water remains safe to drink.
Was the water at your home or business discoloured? Share your experience in the comments below.
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