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US Water briefs council on discolored taps and nitrate risks as DAISY growth plans proceed
Summary
US Water told the council recent discoloration linked to bringing storage tanks back online and line scouring; staff and consultants said blending with a new low-nitrate well and flushing are short-term fixes while long-term nitrate removal (e.g., reverse osmosis or biological denitrification) would be costly and is not yet in the CIP.
City consultants and the contract operator told Boone City Council that recent customer complaints of discolored water stemmed from operational changes while the utility brought a ground storage tank and other towers offline and back online during a capital project.
Aaron Voss of US Water said the plant's treatment performance remained well within typical limits and that finished-water turbidity and iron are very low — he reported routine turbidity readings around 0.02, well under common action levels — but that restarting storage facilities can increase velocity in distribution lines, scour biofilm or sediment and cause temporary discoloration. Voss said the utility is conducting an active flushing program and adjusting corrosion-control (phosphate feed) to limit metal leaching.
On nitrates and longer-term capacity, SEH consultant Mackenzie told the council that nitrate concentrations fluctuate seasonally and that blending with a newly sited low-nitrate well (Well 30) is a proactive, interim tool. "There are biological denitrification systems and other options," Mackenzie said, noting some treatment options have byproducts or high costs. Both consultants emphasized that a full-scale reverse-osmosis treatment plant would be expensive and would generate a concentrated waste stream that requires disposal through wastewater treatment.
Council members and residents asked whether the DAISY development and other near-term growth will force earlier construction of a nitrate-removal facility. A council exchange summarized fiscal options: user fees generally fund water and wastewater infrastructure, and more large users can spread capital costs across additional ratepayers. A staff response in the record said user fees are expected to pay for future treatment if required.
Residents pressed for clearer public communication about what customers should expect during flushing and what to do about discolored water; one longtime river resident told the council the nitrate problem is regional and needs broader coordination. The utility said it has reduced the number of discolored-water calls through ongoing flushing and that it will continue case-by-case follow up for affected addresses.
Next steps: staff will continue the flushing and monitoring program, track nitrate trends as new wells and users come online, and report back with any capital plan changes needed to fund permanent nitrate removal or treatment.
