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The Canadian Champion, Fniday , Ju 7, 2000 - 7 SO UR READERS WRITE Recent water problem was part of large, town-wide incident Region (The following Ietter was addressed ta Milton resident RodneY T Ramsden and a copy wasfiled with The Champion.) Dear Editor: Your letter to Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh (and to The Champion) was forwarded to my office June 14. The 'water authority' you refer to in your letter is the Halton Region Planning and Public Works Departmenl. As a supervisor for the Water and Wastewaler Systems Operalions section, l'm responsi- ble for the maintenance of the water distri- bution systems in Milton, Acton and Georgetown. My office is located at 1600 Steeles Ave. in Milton. The discoloured water you received on June 13 was part of a large incident Ihat affected most of the town of Milton. An extra pump was started in the aftemnoon to help fui the reservoir, and the pump caused flow reversais in the syslem, result- ing in discoloured water. Old iron pipes don't cause the dis- coloured water. The starling of the pump causcd prob- lems because of the higher levels of man- ganese and iron we are experiencing in the aquifer feeding the wells at Kelso Conservation Area. These naturaily-occur- ring minerais have aiways been in the Milton groundwater, but their leveis have been graduaily increasing. The concentra- tion of these minerais are weii beiow the standards set in tic Ontario Drinking Water Objectives, however manganese can cause discoioured waier at even very Iow levets. Both manganese and iron arc cicar when pumped trom the weils, but oxidize on contact with oxygen in the distribution sysiem. In addition, both minerais lormn coatings on the inside walls of îhc pipe carrying the waier. The coatings build up and Ihen are easily scoured off' thc pipe and unto the flow of watcr whcn there are flow direc- tion changes, or changes in veiocity of tlows. Fire hydrant use, broken water mains and abnormai pumping situations have ail contributed 10 flow changes that have resuited in dirty waler incidents in Milton. The discolouration that resuits is an aes- thetic problemn and docs not alter the safe- ty of drinking water. The broken walcrmain incident at Broute and Main sîrects in December of 1997 that you refer to in your icîter was our tirst indication Ihat wc wcre having a problem wilh mauganese levels in our dis- tribution system. Halton bas spent a greal deai of lime and mouey investigating ibis discoiourcd water probiers since il firsI became appar- ent in the distribution sysiem in 1997. We have cieaned (swabbed) ail the smail watermains in Milton twicc in this lime period and will compiete the cieaning of the large feedermains int Milton ihis moutb. in addition. the iwo reservoirs in Milton have aiso becn cieaned. A study was commissioned 10 investi- gale solutions to etiminate the source of the probtem. A weil-seaiing program bas been completed and is being evaiuated. The ultimate solution may invoive filtra- lion at the wetis to reduce the tevets of manganese and mrn. Untilt his probiem is correcied, please cai our office wheu you are experieuciug discotoured waler. We usuaity ask cailers to lt the waler mun for 10 10 15 minutes Have and if it does nol clear up in that time building superinlendeut to flow some use. y u fram, wewil sen staf10 investigate. waler te, heip clear things up, as there are Please cail if I cau be of turîher assis- Our usuai procedure is 10 flow a fire usuaiiy dead-end fiues in apantment build- tance. Our office in Milton can be contact- say. Fax hydranl on the sîreet 10 help speed up the ings that seem 10 aliow the discotoured ed by csliig 878-8113, ext. 7706. If you Iefr clearing of the water in the wstermain. waler to accumulate and cause probtems wish to, leave a message on my extension, etr However, ai apartmenl buildings such as afterîthe streel watermains have cieared up. cati 878-81 13, ext. 8147. yours. flowiug hydrants on the street If the water in your syslem is taking Greg Elli, supervisor to 878- doesnlt usuatty provide a quick solution to aiong lime 10 clear. our staff eau provide Water and Wastewater Systema 41943. the probiem. We usualty ask the apartment you with jugs of drinking wster for your Operation