Well I have refrained form starting this thread for well over 2 weeks now.. But I HAVE HAD IT!!!!!
Seems Howard Kansas is the only town that has water that smell like it comes straight out of an old barrel of
dead fish. Plus it is BROWN.. PLUS you can't use Clorox to wash your white clothes as it makes them come out looking like you tried to tie dye them in strong coffee.
I had 10 of my white big and EXPENSIVE thirsty towels .. and 6 of Kjell's new gun sponsored T-Shirts that I washed. Came out absolutely ruined! I rewashed them in hot water NO BLEACH ( with lots of Borax) and it seems that that those lovely stains all over them are there to stay. Looks like I mopped up a kitchen of spilled coffee with them.
I am so damned mad. >:(
We are in essence paying for water that we can not drink.. can not cook with.. can not do laundry with with and I actually would rather go directly to the lake to take a bath because the chemicals "our water man" is putting in there guessing what the problem is, is so hard on your skin and hair that I would rather have straight lake water to use. If there is so many chemicals in our water that it is directly effecting anything we add to it in our household.. what in the world do you think it is doing to peoples skin and inside of their bodies??!!??!! ( for the poor souls who have to drink this crap!)
It's just like going to the grocery store and being forced to buy food that you know is spoiled and will not eat! Ridiculous that the problem is there to begin with.. let alone no one who is smart enough at their job to be able to remedy it!
I don't want to hear any more excuses and blame put on " Weeelllll, the lake turned over".. BULL BUTTER!
The lake has turned over every year as long as I have been alive and NEVER could you not use the water to wash your clothes with. It might have smelled for a few days or a week.. but NOT 3 weeks solid and have it as browns as a monkeys ass...and it isn't getting better.
We were out in the Howard Lake 2 times in the past 2 weeks swimming and boating. The lake is fine. There is lots of boats on it keeping the water aerated and there is no moss floating around on top , like it does when it turns over. My hair didn't stink and my swim suit didn't stink like lake water. I was in the water for at least 3 hours solid, bobbing around and the water itself didn't smell at all.
We filled up our 200 gallon water tank that we use for our RVs. You wouldn't want to put it in your holding tanks!
The tank..
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj216/marshalette/misc/IMG_4019.jpg)
The water:
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj216/marshalette/misc/IMG_4015.jpg)
To imagine what my whites look like.. grab a white t-shirt.. pour a pot of coffee on it and you'll know. And we are supposed to DRINK this stuff?(http://www.gangsterbb.net/emoticons/cursing.gif)
There is a Council Meeting tonight at the cox building in the east room... at 7:30 It will be addressing the water situation. There are quite a few people that say that they are going.
Be one of them.
We need to be heard. Our water is something that effects all of us and our families.
I suspect the fish bowl odor is from an Algae bloom and could the brown stains be rust? Is so, don't use a dryer or they may set. We have a lot of natural iron in our water and can't use chlorine bleach because it will cause rust spots on clothes. We have to use dry bleach instead. Oxalic acid ,or most any acid, like lemon juice, will take out the stains if you are patient.
My patience is gone and my give a damn is just beginning.. LOL
ONE of the problems is the outtake tube is not adjustable. It was brought up years ago that the out take tube needed to be replaced. But at the time, our lake was 20 ft deep.So the Council voted to not replace it because of the cost ( now to replace it is double what it was of course) Now the depth of the lake is about 12-15 ft deep. and the out take tube is closer to the bottom now than it was. I understand that is where the smell is coming from ( the bottom of the lake) but the chemicals that are screwed up is a whole other problem.
Derek just said Kake News will be at the council meeting tonight. It should be interesting. If need be I will speak.. but from the calls and complaints the city office is getting, I imagine there will plenty of mouths. Hopefully everyone will conduct themselves in a polite manner while getting their opinions across.
Teresa, you might try Oxiclean. I've used it to get out some stains. It May not work, but might be work a try to soak your stained things in first and then wash them. Just a thought.
Myrna
I likened the smell to a dirty, damp, musty, moldy old cellar - sure don't stay in the shower any longer than I have to and lather on the lotions and body spray to make sure my skin don't smell like the water I just showered with. Last summer I bought a Brita when the "lake turned over" but this crap they're calling water now even ruined that. After it run through the charcoal filter, it still smelled. I took the filter out and smelled it and OMG. So cleaned it good with bottled water and now using only bottled water. That does get a bit expensive for drinking, cooking, making coffee, taking meds, making sure Lucy has cool water to drink . . . . I have a question, just who takes care of the city water supply?
obviously nobody ... ( sarcasm noted)
Kevin Mitchell is the one we are paying.. ::)
I remember the water in Elk County...When the lake would 'turn', it was absolutely ungodly hard to do anything with that water. Hmmm...I'll have to watch KAKE tonight and see if I see any of my pals in Howard...Just got through seeing most of you last weekend, but that's OK...You're all pretty enough to look at twice! ;) ;)
I hope the City has / will contact the Kansas Rural Water Association (KRWA) for guidance with this problem. They are some very experienced people there. They should be able to help.
They have..and it is in such a total mess that I think they are stumped.
Added more and different 'chemicals" to it .. ( as if that is what our bodies need) ::)
You know the thing is...............If they are totally lost on what to do.. if something has been done that was a major screw up.. then say it! We are all human.. and s*^# happens. Admit it.. and say" I don't know what to do"...
Don't lie and fumble around with excuses and give people lip service.
And another thing before I put up my broom.......
Why wasn't there anything sent out to the public as in a "NOTICE"... not to use Bleach in your wash water etc etc etc...
There has been absolutely nothing but silence to the public about this problem..
Down here in Moline we had a similar problem a couple of years ago and I don't know if it's the same thing Howard has going on. But here is what caused ours. The State of Ks. in their infinite wisdom decided that we needed to add ammonia to our water to help with the residue that the clorine disinfection process leaves (breath) so adding ammonia drops the pH in the water to the bottom which makes the water very acidic and it likes to eat metal. Well we all know that our little towns have mainly metal lines and thus brown or rust colored water. I know that the City of Moline spent a fortune on soda ash to offset the pH problem and it took a while to get lined out. Still to this day periodically we will have a few lines that go brown and we can't figure it out.
The people at the state told me that science is working against us as they keep getting more detailed tests and then they come up with some bright idea as to OMG how to fix it!!! Like I said I don't know if that's what Howard is having a problem with or not.
I know that I have every intention of going.... and bringing a list and pictures of items that are essentially ruined. There are some that are cleanable after a decent expense to purchase my good little Orange cleaner.
I guess hauling water in the country isn't so bad, compared to what it sounds like in Howard... except most people haul their water from Howard!
Just a question; does anyone who lives in town have a water softner? Does it help with this issue, or just cause damage to the softner? Out here (our water comes from a watershed lake), we have a water storage tank (settling helps with the "junk" in the water), a water filter, and a water softner. We replace the water filter and fill the softner with 3 bags of salt once a month. Although I don't like the taste of the soft water, it really is amazing how much it helps our faucets, etc with hard water and lime buildup.
you know, I always expect the lake to"turn over", but that usually happens in August during dog days and only lasts a few days. That water is usable for most things, just not drinking. This crap started in June.
Doing a little online research a couple of years ago when we started having brown water here in Moline I found that the brown water with sediment is caused from the water being too high in PH (acidic), and eating the inside of the pipes causing the rust to collect in the water. Also I found that some time back they had to change the chemicles used to a safer kind (less carcinogenic), and the water tends to be acidic now. The rust in the water is usually considered to be harmless although ugly and hard on white laundry for sure. What is the answer? I don't know as we still have brown water from time to time. I don't like it either.
We just got home to Oklahoma after spending the weekend in Howard, and if we would have known about tonight's meeting, we might have stayed over so we could attend. We were expecting a lot of family from out of town for the 4th and luckily took a 3-gallon jug of Culligan water and a case of bottled water. Thank goodness, because what we found was appalling with the city water. I've never before taken a bath that looked like chocolate milk and the toilets look and smell so nasty. Our relatives from the city surely thought they were "out in the sticks". Obviously something is terribly wrong somewhere, and it certainly can't be healthy for anyone besides being inconvenient. I hope there is a huge attendance tonight to express their concerns. Other agencies should be called in to assist with figuring out what is going on!!!!!!
I can't imagine having fishy smelling brown water. You all are right in the fact that you should be complaining. Thank goodness I lived in towns with good water and my dad was the Director of Public Works in most of the places I have lived. I am by no means an expert but I can give you a few hints on what the problems are and the normal solutions.
Brown water is caused by a high degree of iron and\or manganese in the water and can be treated by a water softener. Also, it is possible that the water department is not flushing the water system delivery pipes as frequently as they should.
The fishy smell is caused by algae and is most common in the spring and fall and is normally treated by a temporary application of copper sulfate to the reservoir.
The brown stained whites can be pre soaked and washed with Oxiclean or hydrogen pyroxide based cleaners.
These are common problems in water supplies and can be fixed. Don't let the folks in charge tell you any different.
David
I feel for you all. We stopped in Howard and ate last week and I couldn't even drink my drink it was horrible!!! THANK GOD WE HAVE OLD SARGE HERE MAKING OUR WATER DRINKABLE!!
Just a note to all those that are complaining about the water, those people that work for the city must also use the same water that you are using. It's not like they have a special reserve set aside for their use. Believe me, they also wish that the problem would be resolved quickly.
Quote from: gina on July 06, 2009, 07:14:28 PM
Just a note to all those that are complaining about the water, those people that work for the city must also use the same water that you are using. It's not like they have a special reserve set aside for their use. Believe me, they also wish that the problem would be resolved quickly.
Gina you make a good point. My guess is that this is a monetary problem to a great extent. What I do know is you can take completely polluted saltwater and make it potable. My dad worked on a project in the Middle East that did just that. My guess is that the problem is a combination of the people's will butting heads with the water agency's problem of working within their budget. What I do know is that water is the most important resource, next to air, for our survival. The problem can be solved if that is the will of the people. It has been said that the next world war will be fought over water. It is a complicated issue, but one that has to be solved for the survival of Howard. (Also, the rest of the world).
David
Maybe you fine folks in Howard could ask Sarge to help you out. Hank & Miles make very good water here in Longton but once in awhile they hit a snag and so far Sarge has always straightened things out. I think our water is outstanding. Some might not agree but some people would "gripe" if they were hung with a new rope.
In grenola our water isn't brown but I wouldn't drink it unflitered. We have a filter and softner that works wonders. But the price we paid for it could've settled the national debt. That aside, I think the issue of water safety for the entire county has been ignored for quite some time. We recieved letters stating that the water supply here is tainted and didn't pass inspection, they did add however that it was safe to drink. HELLO!!! in that same letter it was stated that continued exposure to the elements found in the water will cause cancer and other health risks.
I have often wondered why it is that a very large percent of the population around here dies of cancer of one form or another. I think that for the forseable future I will follow the advice of tourist that frequent mexico and not drink the water.
Gina.. I never implied that the city employees were not using the same water. I know that they were and are as sick of it as the rest of us. In fact Wayne Willhite really voiced his displeasure at it..and so did Glenn ( can't remember his last name) with your mom nodding her head in agreement so they were just as upset about this as those of us that were there from the public tonight.
I was relatively pleased with the meeting and what they are going to do. As Wayne pointed out. It has gone past over time to tinker around with trying to see if something works to fix it or not. It's time for it to be fixed. TOMORROW!.
I think that they are going to temporarily be shutting down the City lake for any kind of recreation. As they are going to have to put a temporary large pipe over the dam to try to suck water from the surface of the lake. To do this will mean extra precaution so as no one gets too close to the vacuum end and gets sucked up to it and drowns. hence the shutting the gates on the lake.
They are going to permanently look into getting a floating intake and cage it. Hopefully then the lake will be back open for public use.
But for now, our water source and problem have to be top priority and I am for doing whatever it takes to clean this mess up. Over all, it was a positive meeting with hopefully some positive results.
That's good to hear. I kept thinking it was something in our tank or something we were doing wrong. Took me awhile to figure out it was coming from the city. We cleaned out our holding tank and everything and then got another load of water and it was right back the way it was. We have a whole house filter and it does help a lot, but we sure are going through a lot of filters and we put sanitizers in the water, so it's not tooo bad, but sure makes your hair feel icky.
Hope they're able to get it cleared up. :)
Try mixing some Jack in it for drinking. It might help and if it doesn't after a few you won't care anyway. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
HAHAHA... That struck me funny... LOL but honestly it is probably true! hahahahaha
When I said that they use the same water we do, it was meant to show that they are dealing with the same circumstances that the public is. And that they also want the situation resolved. Some of the comments that were made implied that they were lying about the situation and not actually putting all of their resources to use to try to remedy the situation.
As the public found out last night, the resolution won't be a quick fix and the city has truly been working on a way to resolve the problem.
I guess my biggest gripe here was "Back off my Momma!" LOL ;)
A couple questions no one has asked:
Why is it that they city can use our money to go to batsons and cooksons and buy bottled water to drink at the city office?
Why do we keep getting charged for this water?
Can I bill for city for my damaged clothes from washing in this water?
Why isnt the person/persons in charge of this water system fired and someone new brought in?
here is the news clip, it was posted on the fireworks blog
http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/50068902.html?source=enews&c=y
its gonna take time to get the water out of the system.
How about everyone turns on their water lets it run the full day down the drain until it comes out clear, and no one pays their water bill next month, maybe then the city will realize the people run the city government
It sounds like the city employees have done all they can to fix the problem; it sounds like the problem is beyond their knowledge or capabilities at this point and other entities have to get involved to find out what the issue is.
It sounds like everyone in town is suffering; and unless the city workers live out of town, they are fighting the same issues as everyone else. At least the city is buying bottled water locally...
It is a good question about paying for water that is like this... but the city is between a rock and hard place... if no one pays their bills, then there is no money to get this problem fixed. Sounds like the city will have to dip into other funds to pay for fixing the issue, anyway, if it's as bad as it sounds.
Sounds like some of you could phone a rural friend to wash clothes at their house for the time being.
Quote from: BillyakaVarmit on July 06, 2009, 08:21:29 PM
In grenola our water isn't brown but I wouldn't drink it unflitered. We have a filter and softner that works wonders. But the price we paid for it could've settled the national debt. That aside, I think the issue of water safety for the entire county has been ignored for quite some time. We recieved letters stating that the water supply here is tainted and didn't pass inspection, they did add however that it was safe to drink. HELLO!!! in that same letter it was stated that continued exposure to the elements found in the water will cause cancer and other health risks.
I have often wondered why it is that a very large percent of the population around here dies of cancer of one form or another. I think that for the forseable future I will follow the advice of tourist that frequent mexico and not drink the water.
Billy, when i come to visit grenola, i can't drink the water either.
Quote from: Tobina+1 on July 07, 2009, 02:38:43 PM
It sounds like the city employees have done all they can to fix the problem; it sounds like the problem is beyond their knowledge or capabilities at this point and other entities have to get involved to find out what the issue is.
It sounds like everyone in town is suffering; and unless the city workers live out of town, they are fighting the same issues as everyone else. At least the city is buying bottled water locally...
It is a good question about paying for water that is like this... but the city is between a rock and hard place... if no one pays their bills, then there is no money to get this problem fixed. Sounds like the city will have to dip into other funds to pay for fixing the issue, anyway, if it's as bad as it sounds.
Is it the taxpayors problem that the city is between a rock and a hard place? Lots of money is paid out every month for water and quite frankly they should have been putting back some of that money every month to do something about this. This has been happening a long time so they can't say they didn't know it would happen
Quote from: srkruzich on July 08, 2009, 04:33:01 PM
Is it the taxpayors problem that the city is between a rock and a hard place? Lots of money is paid out every month for water and quite frankly they should have been putting back some of that money every month to do something about this. This has been happening a long time so they can't say they didn't know it would happen
I don't disagree with you. I was just stating that if people stopped paying their water bills (like someone suggested), then that really wouldn't help the situation at all, as then the city would really not have any money to get the problem fixed correctly. I don't really know anything about putting money aside for this, either... as the people of HOWARD are the ones who elected their officials and those officials have to answer to them.
http://www.epa.gov/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
To view the information regarding your water supply, quality, and violations
of your water supplier go to the epa website. On the left side you will see
my environment section where you can enter in your zip code. On the left side
of the page that comes up you will see a section titled MyWater where you can
view reports, violations, and quality info.
To obtain additional information about drinking water
call EPA's Safe Drinking Water hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
http://www.kdheks.gov/water/index.html
Division of Environment
Bureau of Water
1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 420
Topeka, KS 66612-1367
(785) 296-5500
FAX: (785) 296-5509
I would like to comment on the KAKE interviews done about the water in the City of Howard.
Everytime KAKE TV 10 and/or any TV station for that matter is called to Howard/Elk County, it seems to be for some negative reason. The light that shines forth on us for others to hear always has some "bad" connotation. So, Monday, it was the brown, stinky water and how it leaves a bad taste in peoples' mouths and stains what was once clean. Well, that's what I thought their TV clip did for us also. It stunk! It left a bad taste in my mouth, not to mention others in the state who once again had to hear that maybe Elk County is not so cool a place to call home. It stained us once again.
I know they have the right to come here after something newsworthy, just as we, as individuals and businesses have the right to refuse to grant an interview. But just for once, could we have something positive shown about us? Maybe instead of Chris Frank proudly telling about the brown water coming into the toilet, or practically gagging as he sipped a glass of Howard water, he should have ended with a postive note. On Monday, there WAS some place that had beautifully clean water with people in it enjoying themselves right here in Howard. And I'm not bragging because it was the pool's water, which took a big hit with the bad city water also---- but just for once---could we have offered to shed some positive light on our community amist all the "stinky stuff"?
And did KAKE offer to come back once the problem is "cleared up" to report on the progress made?
(Just had to air my "dirty laundry")
You know sometimes it takes bringing in the reporters to get something done. If it solves the problem then it was worth it. Personally if i had to pay my money for that stuff that is coming out of howards tap, i would be raising hell too. I don't know about yalls bill but mine is high enough for water.
back where i moved from i had well water that was as clear and sweet as could be. No filtration, no chemicals dumped into it, nothing but pure water. Its a shame you can't get it here. :(
Thank you Emptynest, you are appreciated! Barbara
Steve, it is a shame you have to live here when everything was so wonderful where you use to live. Some of us like it here and don't mind paying our billls.
Quote from: greatguns on July 10, 2009, 06:31:31 AM
Steve, it is a shame you have to live here when everything was so wonderful where you use to live. Some of us like it here and don't mind paying our billls.
I wasn't being a smart ass when i posted about it being a shame folks here can't get wells. Its a shame that you can't reciprocate when your responding. If everyone could get wells then the water companies would have to do better. but since they don't have any competition, then they don't have to preform. I do like it here and i pay my bills. Unfortunately if everyone does as you are saying, the problem will never be fixed. Just accepting it and paying the bill offers no solution to the problem that the water is unfit to use.
If everyone just shut up or leave like you are suggesting, then nothing will ever be solved. I for one don't ever shut up especially when someone tells me to. :) I don't have a problem with rocking a boat I actually love to swim, that is if the water is clean!!!
Ok, well we actually had well water at our old house. It was really hard water. We never drank it either. We always went to my husband's mothers house and filled up a cooler for water or bought water. We also had more problems with washing machines getting clogged on the well water. I feel that the city employees are trying. I for one don't really blame them. Do you think that they are purposely not trying to get it fixed? I don't. I grew up in Severy and remember having the same problems on and off forever. I just figured and still do that its something they are working on. And this is really the first time, that I can remember in years, that I hadn't been able to drink the water. Yes, it's bad, but I feel they are trying to solve the problem. At least I hope!!! :-\
emptynest; great post, and how true!
Unfortunately, water in Elk County is an issue, no matter where you live. There are a lot of us who don't have access to rural water, and if/when we could... our water bills would be huge to try and pay for the loans that it would take to build it. But you choose to live in the place where you do, and you learn to deal with the issues (settling tank, filter, water softner).
I still didn't get my question answered about if people in town have water softners? I was buying salt for mine yesterday and saw that they had some salt with "rust remover" in it. I thought that would probably be handy for someone who was dealing with the brown water issue.
I don't have a water softener and I am not having any laundry problems. But then I don't use bleach. I just use good old Tide and vinegar. I do filter my drinking water and water for the coffee as I have never liked the taste of the water here. After having nothing but Sedgwick County untreated well water for 26 years, it was hard to get used to the treated water again. I am having the problem with the rust colored buildup but it is easy to get rid of and I am sure the problem will be fixed soon. It always has been.
QuoteI still didn't get my question answered about if people in town have water softners?
We have a whole-house water softener system.
It takes care of a lot of the problems, but not all.
We don't have the discoloration to the extent everyone else does, but we still can't use bleach.
Some of the city chemicals still get through.
We do have the smell and the taste, however. Ugh!
Wilma - we use Tide also, but had to switch away from the Tide with Bleach.
as the people of HOWARD are the ones who elected their officials and those officials have to answer to them.
[/quote]
The people of Howard arent that ones that elected their officials, the officials were elected because they were the only ones running for their district.
Why dont we give this company a call, maybe they can help us.
http://www.remco.com/water.htm?gclid=CMTkypDzy5sCFU6F7QodZBLGKQ
Or wait I have an even better idea, maybe we should hire someone with a degree in water treatment. pay them a little more than the $8 an hour currently paid. and they could fix the problem. instead of the guy making $8 an hour saying "well the algae bloom and high manganese level" The manganese levels are high because they didnt know how to fix, the original problem and added more to the water.
Quote from: Mom70x7 on July 10, 2009, 12:54:40 PM
QuoteI still didn't get my question answered about if people in town have water softners?
We have a whole-house water softener system.
It takes care of a lot of the problems, but not all.
We don't have the discoloration to the extent everyone else does, but we still can't use bleach.
Some of the city chemicals still get through.
Thanks, Mom70x7. I talked to Mark at Cookson's and asked him about it, too. He only has a few customers he sells softner salt to, but he keeps it stocked for us! He said it's mostly for hard water, and Howard doesn't really have that hard of water. I sure can tell the difference when we're running low, though!
Well said PrehistoricRez. I agree.
Mom, I think I have always used Tide. I can't remember ever using anything else. When they came out with the Tide for sensitive skin, it was as close to perfect as you can get. I don't like fragrances in my clothes or linens with the exception of bedding. I use lavender scented Downy for my sheets and blankets. As for my white clothes, nobody ever sees my whites since I don't hang them out on the line anymore so if they aren't blindingly white, what's the difference.
Quote from: PrehistoricRez on July 10, 2009, 01:56:19 PM
The people of Howard arent that ones that elected their officials, the officials were elected because they were the only ones running for their district.
Well, obviously no one else wanted the job... do you? Maybe next election you should try and encourage someone that you agree with to run. If I don't agree with the person, I don't vote for them (that is an option, you know), or write in someone else.
The water seems to be getting better. still smells ( although not quite as bad) still brown ( but not as bad)
maybe it will be ok.
I will use it to wash my clothes but I'm still doubtful that I will EVER drink or cook with it again. There is waaaay too many chemicals in it.
Did your water dept. ever hook up the skimmer at your water source? I wondered how that worked out.
yes they did.. Howard Lake is closed to anyone going in.. water is being sucked from the top...
Okay Teresa, no more Jack in the water for you. ;) ;)
maybe that is why the water is brown-------too much jack. Switch to gin and tonic, no water involved.
Larryj
Quote from: Teresa on July 16, 2009, 05:04:38 PM
yes they did.. Howard Lake is closed to anyone going in.. water is being sucked from the top...
Please, tell me this is only a tempoary fix while they fix the problem.
I'm not sure anyone can tell you anything. ;D
meaning what???
Quote from: BillyakaVarmit on July 17, 2009, 04:59:48 PM
meaning what???
Billy, you don't have to drink brown water. If others want to then let them.
David
Washed a load of whites this morning!!! NOT GOOD!! Brown streaks all over them. I went to my sisters in Chanute to do them over again. I DID NOT USE BLEACH. I am sick of this water!!!!
Billy, I think that is the plan, or that was what was talked about at the council meeting. Teresa posted that, I believe. We live on the far north end of town, and only two or three days, did we have ugly, nasty, brown, stinky water. Did I use enough adjectives???? lol
One time I had laundry that suffered the consequences, but right now, the water is clear. But it is a terrible problem!!!!
Our water is still brown!
Mine never did get as bad as others have said their's is. Maybe it has something to do with how far from the water tower you are.
We stopped at Poplar's for lunch today following the parade. They're not serving fountain drinks because of the water.
Our water is still brown and awful! >:(
Ditto here. It is better than it was though, just not back to normal.
It's very strange how different the water is, depending on where you live. Ours was a little discolored for a few days and smelly/funny-tasting for several, but certainly not as severe as others have had it. I didn't have any laundry problems either. It did get really brown when the hydrant (or line?) was flushed. Our Wichita water was always like this when Cheney Reservoir turned and/or got algae bloom so maybe I was used to it? I haven't noticed that it's worsened lately, although the pets haven't been drinking the tap water the past few days. I'll be doing laundry in the morning, so I'll see how bad it is.
Mine's still kinda brown, but it doesn't smell anymore. Sometimes I get a big whiff of "smell".. but then its gone. ( Maybe chunk of dead fish shot through the pipes.. LOL
Just kidding. :)
Ours is better.. but I'm still sad about my laundry. I HAVE to use Clorox in my whites and all my massages sheets. And I can't. ..which means I have dingy looking sheets and a huge portion of my whites are ruined.
I wonder if they will get the water manganese straightened out so we can at least have our clothes washing become normal again.
A product called Iron Out does make the clothes white again IF you have clean water to rinse them in. Do not throw away your clothes. Use Iron Out ( I have only found it at Dillons) when the water is back to normal . Or you can go to my sister house like I did. HA! HA!
Let;s all write on our city bill when we pay it , PLEASE FIX THE WATER PROBLEM ASASP,. Maybe if we all do it and tell our neighors to do it they will fix the problem asasp.
The problem with that is --- the accusations from that fall on Kay and Becky. The problem lies OUTSIDE THE CITY OFFICE. How about everyone calling the council members and the Mayor- their phone numbers are available through the city office * ( 374 2202 ) - then telling THEM ( mayor and council) we are not happy with our city water problem not being taken care of ????? They are the only ones that have the power to activate the process to take care of this problem. NOT the city clerk - Kay - and the deputy clerk - Becky. Take the complaint to the ones responsible to deal with the water superintendent.
here's a solution. Set up a escrow account, and everyone pay their water bill into that escrow account. water department gets paid via escrow, money is released to them contingent upon the problem being fixed. IF they need money to fix the problem then pay for the fix out of the escrow account.