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Commission reviews Westlawn water-main update after Pheasant Run brown-water complaints
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Summary
Staff traced recent brown water in Pheasant Run to a valve left closed after phasing, opened the valve, conducted directional flushing and reported that affected residents' water has cleared; staff will continue monitoring and present televising video when available.
Utility staff briefed the Cottage Grove Utility Commission Dec. 10 on a series of brown‑water complaints in the Westlawn 4th addition (Pheasant Run, Mourning Dove and Red Hawk Trail). Staff said multiple complaints were received around Thanksgiving and that, during investigation, they discovered a valve that had remained closed after earlier construction phases, effectively leaving parts of the system operating as a dead end and allowing organic mineral deposits to accumulate.
The utilities presentation described how system phasing in 2013–2019 and a valving change in 2021 left Pheasant Run acting as a dead end. Staff reported that when the interconnect valve was opened during recent flushing operations, material from that low‑flow area was stirred up, producing the discolored water residents observed.
"We opened the valve and flushed for almost two hours in the area," the utilities manager reported, noting crews conducted directional flushing both ways, closed and opened valves as needed, and followed up with additional flushing. Staff said they received no further calls in the week after the most recent flushing and that at least one resident reported clear water for the last week.
Staff said SCADA is now marking the valve and that marking should prevent accidental closure going forward. The commission thanked front-line staff (named in the transcript as Kayla and the utility superintendent) for their response and noted that public‑works and utilities crews worked together on the effort.
Commissioners also asked about a related sanitary‑sewer televising requirement for a nearby apartment complex: staff said the complex completed cleaning for 2024 but initially did not provide a televising report; they later completed televising for 2025 and staff is awaiting the video files and the associated deliverables. Staff said any decision to require repairs following review of the televising footage would be a commission determination.
Staff said additional routine flushing will continue and that spring flushing will increase in frequency for the affected streets to keep water moving through the loops.
