Edinburgh residents are never sure exactly what will come out of their faucets.
Will the water be dark brown, light brown or clear? Will the water have sediment? Will it smell like metal?
“It is a surprise,” Holli Russ said. “Every time you turn on the sink you don’t know what you’re going to get.”
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Water in Edinburgh has a higher than normal concentration of iron and manganese, which causes the discoloration, odor and sediment. After working on a solution quietly, the town announced this week short- and long-term plans to address the issues, including a treatment additive as an immediate remedy, and building a new water plant in the coming years.
Russ moved to Edinburgh last March, to a house the family had built on a vacant lot. Since her pipes are brand new, the water is discolored less often than those who live in older homes. Her water is brown at least once a month for a few days, she said.
Russ’ neighbor Mariah Viewegh, has brown water most days, and has experienced discoloration on and off for a year, with increasing frequency in the past few months.
Both families buy water frequently because they no longer feel safe drinking or cooking with the water coming from their tap.
“We have to go buy water bottles that we can’t afford because we can’t drink the water we have to pay for,” Viewegh said.
Edinburgh water customers also have to pay the bill for discolored water that has, in some instances, damaged their property. Russ’s favorite cream-colored robe is now half brown. While Viewegh’s bathtub stays brown no matter how hard she scrubs.
‘Could this be cancerous?’
Both women are concerned with how few answers town officials have provided them. The Town of Edinburgh posts frequent assurances on its Facebook page that the water is safe and that hydrants are being flushed, but that is all they have said publicly, until this week.
With the color, smell, and sediment present, they are skeptical about its safety.
Every night when she runs a bath for her son, Viewegh wonders if the water is really as safe as the town claims, given the color, occasional presence of a fish-food like sediment and bad smell.
“Could this be cancerous? … I don’t want my kids to have to deal with that,” Viewegh said.
Per Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) standards, random water tests are completed monthly by the town. Test sites include a random sampling of private residences, town buildings and commercial properties, said JT Doane, town manager.
Results of the tests reveal that the discoloration, smell and sediment are elevated levels of iron and manganese in the water. While iron levels are higher than what the town would like to see, the level present in the water is acceptable per Environmental Protection Agency standards, according to a July water test report the town submitted to IDEM. However, the manganese level is above the EPA’s standard, significantly so in many of the test readings, the report reveals.
In nine of the 22 samples taken in July, the manganese level was at least double what is recommended — 0.1 mg/L or higher — compared to the EPA standard of 0.05 mg/L.
Both iron and manganese are chemicals necessary for human health, but studies have shown that extreme manganese exposure can lead to health problems or death. But both chemicals are considered a “secondary concern” by the EPA, meaning they are more of a nuisance than a health concern at most levels.
A study of severe health outcomes from manganese exposure showed severe problems such as neurological symptoms at 1 mg/L or higher, according to a health advisory from EPA. Because the highest level of manganese measured in July was 0.131 mg/L, Edinburgh’s water is not likely to cause health concerns.
Doane assures residents that the water is safe to drink and that he would drink it himself because he trusts the town’s utility leaders.
‘Focus on the solution’
Though they haven’t publicly told customers, town and utility officials have been working on a solution for the water discoloration for some time, Doane said.
The utility’s engineering consultant, Wessler Engineering, came to the conclusion that the water plant, which is nearly 23 years into its 15-year lifespan, is failing, Doane said. The filtration system at the plant struggles to filter out all the naturally occurring chemicals that are present in the groundwater the town taps into, he said.
Doane, who was appointed town manager in May 2019, is not sure how the plant was allowed to age to this state without proper replacement. The town, he said, is choosing not to dwell on that and instead focus on building a new plant, a permanent solution, he said.
“We have reached the stage where we have to forget the problem and focus on the solution,” Doane said.
Wessler submitted several design options for a new plant that range from $3 million to $5 million, depending on the size and style of water treatment. Those plans are in the hands of the town’s financial advisers who are working to determine what the town can afford, and whether a rate increase is needed to fund it, he said.
But a new plant is still three to five years away.
The town council approved a short-term solution to reduce the levels of iron and manganese in the water. Pending IDEM approval, the town plans to treat the water with sodium permanganate, which should eliminate or reduce discoloration, Doane said.
“I empathize with their concerns and I want a solution right now for the community. That is why we are continuing to see the process through,” Doane said.
‘That blows my mind‘
Edinburgh residents, such as Russ, want to see a solution now. Some wonder if town officials even care about them, given how long they have taken to act.
Discoloration started in some homes a year ago, but has grown worse and has appeared in more residences throughout town in the last few months.
“I would love to know why that was overlooked by so many town officials and those in a position of authority,” Russ said. “That blows my mind. That is a huge concern.”
With basic services not being provided, Russ’s family has considered moving.
“We chose to move here because we asked around and everyone said it was a great town, and we wanted that small-town feel,” Russ said.
But the town, in her opinion, has failed to take action on an issue as simple as the water coming out of their faucets.
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Residents are welcome to call town hall with any concerns about their water.
Town Manager JT Doane is available to speak with residents and the utility can offer home inspections for those request it. Doane can be reached at 812-526-3513.
Residents may also appeal their bill if they feel the water has caused their bill to increase abnormally. Appeals can be sent by mail to 107 S. Holland St., or email to [email protected].
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