Resident raises brown water and low pressure concerns; city describes hydrant flushing and planned upgrades

A Hickory resident told the City Council April 21 that sediment and low water pressure in his household have persisted despite frequent filter changes, prompting questions about the safety of drinking water and the city's plans to repair aging infrastructure.

"I replaced the filter three weeks ago and over the 10 days after I replaced it, I noted significant decrease in the pressure of our water," said Jeffrey Katz, who said he lives on 7354th Street NE and showed photos of sludge he removed from a whole‑house filter. Katz said he had to replace filters monthly, described toilet flushes causing sinks to lose pressure and asked how the sludge gets into the system and when residents can be confident water is clear enough to drink.

City staff responded in a later report and question‑and‑answer session. City Manager Warren Wood and utility staff said annual hydrant flow testing — and occasional additional flow tests — can increase velocity in pipes and scour manganese and iron deposits, producing brown or discolored water complaints concentrated in the city's northeast. Wood said the discoloration is "unpleasant to look at" but that recent tests came back within normal safety ranges and "the water is safe to drink." He added that complaint mapping shows most outbreaks are clustered in the northeast service area.

Wood described several steps the city is using to reduce incidents: coordinating hydrant openings with surrounding jurisdictions, strategically flushing hydrants prior to flow tests, deploying utility crews and the fire department to manage flows, and using multiple communications channels (social media, CodeRED alerts) to warn residents when testing is planned. He also said an automated meter infrastructure (AMI) smart‑meter project — once deployed — will reduce the need for full‑flow hydrant tests, and the city has secured grant funds for a planned $20 million water line project to the Springs Road water tank that staff expect will reduce pressure‑related discoloration in the northeast.

Council members asked about whether isolated household problems could be inspected and were told that persistent day‑to‑day brown water could indicate a private plumbing issue; staff said they map and investigate complaints and will respond to concentrated outbreaks. City staff agreed to follow up with Mr. Katz after the meeting; Will Hamilton was identified to speak with him about the report and next steps.

The exchange underscored the difference between aesthetic discoloration — often iron or manganese — and water safety testing, and the city encouraged residents to run outdoor spigots at low points on their property after a known flushing event and to report ongoing discoloration so staff can map and investigate outages and localized problems.

The council did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting but recorded the resident's complaint and the staff update; follow‑up is assigned to Public Utilities.