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Nassau Bay resident complaints prompt call for faster notices when city switches to well water
Summary
At the July 14 City Council meeting, residents reported strong taste and odor after Nassau Bay switched to well water during a main leak; staff said the switch was automatic and agreed to improve advance public notice.
Residents told the Nassau Bay City Council on July 14 that the city’s recent automatic switch to well water produced an unpleasant taste and odor and that public notice was delayed. Council and staff described why the city uses the wells and said they would work to improve communications when the system is placed on well water.
Resident Lehi Venables told council she noticed ‘‘an odoriferous smell’’ and a bad taste when she brushed her teeth after the switch and said the city’s public notice came late. ‘‘Please put out a notice immediately,’’ she said, adding questions about how frequently well water is used and how well-sampling is reported.
City staff and the mayor responded that the city placed the well system on standby and that the change was triggered by a leak in the main supply line to Nassau Bay. The mayor said the well system is set to kick in when system pressures fall below set thresholds and confirmed the well water sometimes retains an odor even when it meets state standards: ‘‘A lot of that’s, from what I remember my water training is, a lot of times it’s bacteria that’s been killed through our process… it certainly gives a smell,’’ the mayor said.
Staff said they would improve the timing of public notices when the system automatically switches to well water so residents can arrange for bottled water if desired. At the meeting, residents urged the city to explain more precisely what causes the odor and to clarify how often sampling reflects well versus treated surface water.
City staff did not announce any immediate changes to water treatment processes at the meeting. They described the current practice as switching to well water when the distribution system sees a significant leak or sustained pressure drop and posting a notice after the change is made. Residents said that notice should come as soon as the switch happens.
The water-quality discussion was raised during the public-comment portion of the July 14 council meeting and followed later by staff updates about ongoing waterline capital projects. No regulatory or enforcement action was taken at the meeting; staff said they will revise notification procedures and return with operational clarifications if needed.
