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Bladen County water staff cite iron bacteria, switch to orthophosphate blend; filtration would be costly
Summary
Water-system staff told commissioners brown/discolored water in Lisbon and Bladenboro is linked to iron and iron‑feeding bacteria; staff have tried flushing and switched to an orthophosphate blend short term, but said full filtration retrofit for affected wells could cost about $2 million per well.
Bladen County water personnel briefed commissioners on an ongoing brown-water problem affecting Lisbon and Bluefield-area customers and outlined short- and long-term responses.
Water system staff said the discoloration is driven by naturally occurring manganese and ferrous iron in groundwater that oxidizes during disinfection to form ferric hydroxide — the rust-colored sediment residents see. To address recurring discoloration and iron-feeding bacteria in distribution lines the utility has switched from a polyphosphate sequestrant to an orthophosphate blend and continues targeted flushing of lines as a short-term remedy.
“Today, we have had a delivery of a new blend of phosphate. We have gone from strictly polyphosphate … We have gone to a orthophosphate blend,” a water-system staff member said, explaining the orthophosphate targets iron bacteria and pre-oxidation conditions that contribute to slimy buildup in lines. Staff cautioned the change is part of a trial-and-error process that requires adjusting feed rates and monitoring distribution chemistry over weeks.
Staff said the long-term fix for the worst-affected wells is filtration: sand filtration ahead of distribution would remove oxidized iron, but retrofit costs are significant. The county estimated roughly $2,000,000 per well for filtration work and told the board four wells need filtration, meaning costs would be substantial if full retrofits are required. Meanwhile, the utility has taken some wells offline, is running alternate sources (e.g., Rosendale feed via Highway 211) and has ordered parts to return several hydrants and assets to service.
Commissioners urged continued communication with affected towns and fire services, suggested forming a rapid-response subcommittee for future incidents and asked staff to return with monitoring results after the orthophosphate trial period. The board also approved a water‑board debt write-off of $167,003.88 during the same meeting.
What’s next: staff will continue flushing, monitor water chemistry after the orthophosphate change, adjust feed rates as needed, and report back to the board on test results and any recommended capital projects.
