Water treatment showing early results for Edinburgh residents

Some Edinburgh water customers reported seeing less discoloration after the town began a new water treatment regimen Monday.

The water is being treated with sodium permanganate, a chemical meant to reduce the presence of iron and manganese in the water supply.

The initial cost to begin the treatment was $6,000, said Scott Finley, the town’s clerk-treasurer. The town will spend about $11 a day on the treatment, if it uses one gallon a day, according to an estimate provided by Water Solutions Unlimited.

Water tests revealed that both iron and manganese are abnormally high in Edinburgh’s water. Given their characteristics, the chemicals are what is causing the discoloration, floating debris and metallic smell that many residents have experienced in their water.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

They are naturally present in the town’s groundwater, but the aging water plant can no longer filter them out, said JT Doane, town manager.

The town council approved the use of the treatment Aug. 24, and the town received approval from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to move forward with it Aug. 28.

Town officials wanted to start treatment as soon as possible on Monday, Doane said.

Some residents reported consistently brown water, while others experienced it periodically. Though the water is technically safe, residents have been wary of the it because of its color and odor. Residents with pervasive water discoloration reported property damage such as bathroom fixture discoloration and stained white clothes.

Town water superintendent Bill Jones is pleased with initial results of the treatment, Doane said. The water department this week received fewer calls about the water, and fewer people reached out on social media, he said.

At Mariah Viewgh’s home, the water went from consistently dark brown last week to a much lighter brown this week, she said. No debris has shown up in her water this week, and the metallic smell is less frequent, she said.

The water at Alyssa Caudill’s downtown apartment has been more clear some days, but others, it is the same brown color as last week, she said. One small victory was clear toilet bowl water for the first time in months. 

Holli Russ did not see brown water at all this week, she said.

But while some households are reporting improved water conditions, that is not the case for everyone. 

Viewegh said a neighbor hasn’t seen any improvement so far. And still, residents who have seen improvement are cautious about using it because it is not consistently clear, Viewegh said.

“This always happens. One minute it’ll be clear and you turn on the water and it’ll be brown again,” Viewegh said.

The town council also approved $25,000 to join an iron and manganese pilot study from WesTech Engineering, a Utah water treatment solutions firm. The study will include testing and data analysis of the town’s water and treatment to inform short- and long-term solutions, Doane said.

“We’ve kicked the can down the road long enough on this,” council member Ryan Piercefield said, motioning for approval of the study at town’s meeting this week. 

The study is expected to take place the rest of the year, according to a timeline presented to the town council by Wessler Engineering, an Indianapolis firm that advises the town on utility matters.

The timeline also indicated next steps to replace the town’s water plant, which is about eight years overdue. The timeline says the town — depending on funding — could have a State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan and Office of Rural and Community Affairs (OCRA) grant in place to fund a new $3 to $5 million plant by the end of 2021.

The town also plans to pursue a new groundwater well, with hopes to drill a test well site in November near Irwin Park at an estimated cost of $35,000. If aquifer at the test site proves viable, the town could also begin construction of a new well by the end of 2021, pending design and SRF loan funding.