Howards Nasty Brown Stinking Water!!

[jerry wagner]

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.

[Tobina+1]

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.

[flo]

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.

[sixdogsmom]

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.

[patyrn]

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!!!!!!

[dnalexander]

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

[cheyronni]

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!!

[momof 2boys]

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. 

[dnalexander]

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

[jarhead]

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.