Water Discoloration the Topic of Dandridge Town Hall Meeting

The Town of Dandridge hosted a Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, January 29, 2017, to address concerns regarding a water discoloration issue that has plagued water customers since the Town went on line with a new water distributor several months ago. Customers noticed a change in the color of their water after the Town switched from Jefferson City as their distributor to Knoxville Utility Board. Dandridge Town Administrator Melissa Peagler addressed concerned citizens on Sunday, offering assurances that the Dandridge water safety is of paramount importance to the Town Administration and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. She said that testing has been done and there is no indication that there is any safety issue with the the water in Dandridge. Peagler said that the Town has requested that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation do their own testing on the water and those tests confirm the Dandridge Water Department’s findings that the drinking water is safe for consumption. She explained at length the differences in the situation in Flint, Michigan and the current situation in Dandridge, noting that the water source for Flint was unknown and testing was ignored. Dandridge has a known and reliable water source (Tennessee River) and has extensively tested the drinking water and it has been found to be safe.

Peagler said that she is aware that customers want more than just safe water, they want quality water and the discoloration has been an issue, especially for those homes that have galvanized pipes. Many homes that were build before 1980 do have galvanized pipes and the Town of Dandridge, whose pipes date back as far as the 1930s, has galvanized main pipes. The Knoxville Utility Board has added a chemical to the water to coat the pipes and help with the discoloration. Dandridge Water Department had hoped that the coating process would work faster that it has and it could be several more months or even years before the coating process reaches its pinnacle effectiveness.

Peagler said that the Town made the switch to KUB, which has softer water than the previous distributor, because of the water needs were previously difficult to meet, especially during the dry summer months. A bonus of the softer water is that it is expected to be better for appliances over the long term, however the Board of Mayor and Aldermen is aware that customers want quality water now. With the age of the Town’s pipes a major consideration, as well as the lack of continuity in the size of the Town’s water pipes, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen have made the commitment to begin the replacement of the Town’s pipes. It will be a costly project but is, according to Peagler, one that has been coming for several years. Preliminary estimates for the project are in the neighborhood of $1.5 million dollars. Consultants for the project are already working on a replacement plan for the galvanized pipes. But, homes that have galvanized pipes may still find themselves dealing with the discoloration issue. Peagler suggested that those seeing discoloration in their water should pratice flushing their pipes, emphasising that each pipe will need to be flushed independently. Those with issues that are practicing flushing can contact the Dandridge Water Department for adjustments on their bill. Long term, filters can be added to address the discoloration and partial or total replacement of galvanized pipes may be necessary to totally answer the discoloration problem.

Dandridge Water Department staff was on hand to answer questions from the public following the open address. Work has already begun on water pipe replacement for the Town of Dandridge and is expected to kick up to a large scale project in the near future.

Peagler said “ Our water is safe. We are certain of its safety but we recognize that there is some discoloration and we are actively putting measures in place to handle that. Safe drinking water is a priority for our Town and our Board of Mayor and Aldermen take it seriously. The Town Administration takes it seriously and the Water Department takes it seriously. Our Mayor and Aldermen live here and their families are here. We all drink the same water and it is safe.”

Those with questions or concerns are encouraged to call the Dandridge Water Department, the Town of Dandridge or members of the Board of Mayor and Alderman.