The Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee on Tuesday presented a multi-step strategy to reduce yellow discoloration and odor in Saint Helena’s drinking water, emphasizing improved treatment operations, continuous process control and targeted pipeline flushing.

Jay Koba, a member of the water quality subcommittee of the Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee, told the council that Saint Helena’s system “is a typical potable water system” fed by three sources — Bell Canyon Reservoir, Stonebridge Wells and treated water purchased from Napa — and that most color and taste problems stem from inadequate raw-water treatment that lets naturally occurring iron and manganese enter the distribution system.

Koba said the committee and the city’s consultant, Issam Najim, have begun a four-step effort: expand laboratory analysis beyond regulatory sampling to better understand plant performance; change operational procedures to improve removal of metals and biological materials using existing equipment; implement continuous process control (SCADA) and alarms to provide real-time feedback and reduce abrupt velocity changes in pipelines; and, if necessary, add or duplicate critical treatment equipment such as filters at wells.

The committee presented sample data showing spikes in raw-water manganese at Bell Canyon as high as about 1,500 parts per billion, with treated-water manganese generally reduced by more than 95 percent but still at times above the committee’s color target of about 20 ppb. Koba noted that iron is currently being reduced to near a target of about 50 ppb, and that the consultant’s procedural changes since May have improved iron levels.

Assistant City Manager and Director of Public Works Joe Leach described recent and planned SCADA work and funding: council previously authorized roughly $250,000 in June for SCADA improvements and the adopted capital improvement plan includes approximately $500,000 more for system-wide monitoring upgrades. Leach said staff is preparing a request for proposals for a broader SCADA implementation that would provide the continuous monitoring the committee recommends.

On timing, Koba and staff said the consultant-led operational changes already under way should show material gains over the next four to six months. Leach said an aggressive SCADA implementation could take about a year; larger equipment upgrades identified after further analysis could follow in 6–9 months and extend into a longer capital program. Staff and the committee called the stepwise approach important because the town’s treatment equipment is roughly 65 years old and must be optimized before costly replacement projects proceed.

Panelists emphasized continued distribution flushing to remove decades of accumulated sediment in pipelines and modest pH adjustments to reduce iron corrosion. Leach said the city conducts targeted door-to-door sampling in response to citizen complaints; those samples typically take about 10 days for results and test for iron and manganese so residents can share data with health providers.

Several residents urged faster communication and asked whether the water is safe to drink. Koba and Leach said the city is not issuing a blanket “do not drink” advisory and that testing at individual homes remains the method used when a specific issue is reported. Leach said door-to-door sampling and results delivery are the current public-health practice; residents with elevated home results are advised to consult their health care providers.

The committee and staff requested continued funding for the consultant while monitoring and SCADA work proceed. Council members and staff thanked committee volunteers and called the work a cooperative example of city staff, volunteers and technical consultants working together to produce data-driven, staged improvements.