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City reports DNR notice after temporary HMO feeding interruption; water safe, staff to increase tank maintenance
Summary
Utility staff reported a DNR notice after a temporary halt in feeding a treatment chemical (HMO) that coincided with higher manganese readings and odor complaints; staff said water was safe, described flushing and tank-cleaning steps, and will notify customers as required.
Anamosa utility staff told the council they received a notice of violation from the Iowa DNR after suspending feed of an HMO treatment chemical April 28–30 while investigating rising manganese test results and a musty odor. Staff said they promptly notified the DNR, flushed dead ends, cleaned tanks and resumed feeding a replacement HMO on May 1.
"We did receive a notice of violation for a treatment technique violation at the water plant," the utility superintendent said, explaining that staff halted feeding while investigating the cause of the spike in manganese and odor complaints and later replaced and cleaned tanks. He told the council the plant’s water remained safe to drink during the event and that the city will publish the required notice and mail required notifications to customers. Staff also said they will implement an annual tank-cleaning schedule to reduce the risk of future incidents.
Councilors asked about penalties and testing; staff said the DNR notice was primarily a notification and that no financial penalty was imposed, and confirmed additional flushing and monitoring steps had been completed.
