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Walsburg water staff say recent work caused strong chlorine odor; SCADA and pump issues under repair
Summary
Town staff described an incident in which mapping and cutover work caused chlorinated stagnant water to be drawn into parts of the distribution system; staff have been running hydrants and dosing tanks and are working with a contractor to repair SCADA false alarms and pump issues.
Walsburg public works staff briefed the council on Sept. 5 about a recent water system disruption tied to new construction and pipe cutovers that allowed chlorinated, stagnant water to enter parts of the distribution system.
Troy Doster, public works staff, described the situation: during cutover work to move some meters and activate a new tank, contractors attempted to maintain flow to both old and new tanks but could not pump sufficiently up the hill. "They pushed all that stagnant water that was chlorinated... and that sucked everything back into the system," Doster said. Staff responded by opening hydrants, introducing chlorine to the upper and lower tanks, and flushing lines until chlorine residuals were restored.
Residents were warned they might notice a chlorine taste or smell for a short time while the system stabilizes. Doster said staff are dosing about a gallon of chlorine per 25,000 gallons nightly to maintain a one-part-per-million target in affected sections.
Operational and equipment issues: the council heard that the SCADA (remote monitoring) system has produced false alarms and required manual overrides. Doster said he has arranged for a contractor, Chris Scott, to inspect and repair the SCADA and that manual overrides have been necessary for pressure-reducing valves. The town also flagged a potentially failed battery backup that did not operate during a recent power outage; staff will investigate replacement needs.
What the council directed: no formal action was taken. Staff said they will continue chlorination and hydrant flushing until residuals normalize, schedule SCADA repair work, and review backup power for critical controls.
