The Senoia City Council on Monday approved water system tests designed to lead to a recommendation on the appropriate type of filter that should be purchased. Issues with “yellow water” from 2011 that reoccurred temporarily in 2012 and again this summer in some homes on Teal Court were found to be associated with oxidized iron.
City Administrator Richard Ferry said residents in some areas of the Twin Lakes and Heritage Pointe subdivisions reported yellow sediment in their water in 2011. The city tested the water and attempted to resolve the issue by adopting measures that included changing the type of filters being used.
A city well in late 2011 had also developed a problem that was addressed. Water samples taken at the time showed no issues, and problems experienced by a resident who had reported sediment problems were thought to have been resolved when he reported that water quality had improved, Ferry said.
Ferry said another Teal Court resident with a whole-house filter reported issues with yellow water in August 2012 so the lines were flushed again. Ferry said samples taken in November and December 2012 showed no issues with water quality.
But it was in the summer of this year that problems of yellow sediment were reported again at several residences on Teal Court. At one residence which had experienced previous problems, the city took samples from the bathtub, from a faucet in the house and from a faucet on the exterior of the home.
Ferry said test results showed the problem was oxidized iron, not sediment. Test results further showed the sample from the bathtub registered at .41 milligrams per liter (mg/l), the sample from the faucet in the house was .37 mg/l and the sample taken from outside the house registered at .23 mg/l. The acceptable standard for iron is .3 mg/l, Ferry noted.
The city tests water quality on a regular basis, Ferry said, adding that it is important to maintain the high water quality that Senoia experiences. He noted that Senoia has historically high iron content and Ga. Environmental Protection Division guidelines are followed in addressing iron content.
The City Council on Monday considered switching to a different filter for the water system to prevent any future occurrence. Council members voted to have additional tests run before spending up to $38,000 for a new filter. Ferry said the council will wait for tests results and recommendations on which filter would be most appropriate.
