Rust-colored drinking water in the Smith Utility District is being addressed

It's no surprise that people are hesitant to drink water that isn't clear.

Earlier this week, I learned for the first time that people were buying bottled water and boiling their tap water because it was coming out of the faucet yellow, brown, and sometimes rust-colored.

People in Alexandria are getting high bills for low-quality water

I went to the Smith Utility District to learn what they are doing to improve the water quality in that area.

Rich Potter, the water plant manager, said in June they started treating the water with a special solution to address the discoloration.

About a year ago, Potter first heard about the discolored water. He took a sample from the Caney Fork River where they source their water and ran a test. The result led him to advocate for treating the water with polyphosphate/orthophosphate. The treatment said iron levels were up to 24 ppm. For reference, anything above 300 ppm is considered problematic.

In Potter's opinion, it was only a matter of time before more customers saw sediment.

"I told my board it's coming," Rich Potter said. "When you see it in the outskirts it is coming in."

According to the water plant manager, the blend attacks contaminants like iron, and inhibits lead and copper corrosion in distribution pipes.

They started adding it in June. It will take four or five more months to work.

"Like medicine, sometimes you get worse before you get better, but you do get better," Potter said.

Another concern many of you shared with us is the cost of the drinking water in this area. Local governments set utility rates and those are set at board meetings. It is so important to make your voice heard.

Do you have concerns about your drinking water? Email me at Hannah.McDonald@newschannel5.com .

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