City staff links recent brown water to filter project and higher demand; engineers to study flows

Brian, a city water‑works staff member, told the Coldwater City Council during public comment that a multi‑stage filter replacement project begun in February 2023 has coincided with higher-than-expected water demand and caused episodes of discolored water in parts of the system.

Brian said the plant normally treats iron and manganese in four filters; during the renovation one or more filters were out of service and plant operators shortened filter backwash cycles to maintain supply. "I had to shorten that up to about 8 minutes per backwash, and we were only getting out about 28,000 gallons of water a time. So, basically, what I was doing was doubling the amount of iron that I was putting back into the system," he said.

He described the…