Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Saint Helena council hears committee plan to reduce water discoloration; residents press for drinking‑water safety and timelines
Summary
The Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee told the City Council that inadequate raw‑water treatment and decades of sediment in distribution pipes are the main causes of discoloration; consultants have helped lower iron but manganese remains above color thresholds. Staff outlined a staged program (operational changes, monitoring, SCADA upgrades, equipment work) with anticipated stabilization in 6–12 months and larger projects over 1–2 years.
Vice Mayor Deasy convened the discussion of water quality after a presentation from the Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee on the causes of discoloration, taste and odor in Saint Helena’s drinking water.
Jay Koba, a member of the committee’s water‑quality subcommittee, told the council the town’s potable system relies on three parts — source water, a treatment plant and a distribution system — and that problems stem from inadequate treatment of raw water at the plant and from decades of accumulated solids in distribution pipelines. Koba said Bell Canyon reservoir and Stonebridge Wells provide raw water with high and variable manganese and iron; Napa supplies treated potable water. He cited peaks in raw‑water manganese as high as about 1,500 parts per billion (ppb) and said treated plant outlet values have been reduced but are not consistently below the target of roughly 20 ppb for manganese.
The committee recommended a four‑step…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
