HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Henry County Water Authority officials have cautioned that some customers may see discolored water from their taps this weekend.
They say not to worry. While the annual turnover at the Tussahaw Reservoir has caused a given a poor look to the water, the quality of the water coming from the taps has not been compromised.
When a reservoir experiences turnover, warmer water that has been trapped at the bottom of the lake during the summer months rises to the surface, according to the water authority.
This happens when the water temperature at the surface drops below the temperature of the water at the bottom of the lake, which has been the case over the past few weeks with cooler fall weather beginning to settle into north Georgia.
When this happens, they said, the warmer water begins to make its way to the top, bringing with it minerals present in the lake -- especially manganese.
The Henry County Water Authority's Tusshaw Water Treatment Plant has the ability to adjust its intake to take in the clearest and highest quality raw water available, the water authority said. This, most often, comes from the surface of the lake.
However, they said, when the reservoir turns over, the stirring of minerals as a result, impacts the clarity of all raw water available for treatment at the Tussahaw Water Treatment Plant.
“Typically, the effects of reservoir turnover on raw water clarity is negligible, so this recent incident has been very unusual,” says Eric Osborne, HCWA Water Production Manager. “The raw water withdrawn for drinking water production at the Tussahaw Plant during the last few days has had higher levels of manganese than normal.”
The discolored water leaving the treatment plant briefly made its way into water storage and distribution to some Henry County customers, Osborne said. It will require a few days for that water to completely flush out of the system completely, he said.
“It’s not like having a cup of coffee that’s not quite right and being able to throw it out and refill immediately. It takes a while to flush parts of our system, because we’re talking about millions of gallons of water potentially serving thousands of customers,” said Osborne.
Treatment chemicals applied during production can help lower the manganese levels of raw water coming from the reservoir while ensuring quality from the tap, he said, but when the compound is present in high concentrations, discoloration of the water can occur.
Manganese even at visible levels is not a health hazard and not an indication of poor water quality, say Authority officials. Manganese is prevalent in Georgia clay and found in water at non-visual levels every day. This mineral is found in most multi-vitamins and is not harmful.
“At this time, all water leaving our Tussahaw Plant is back to normal levels of manganese, so discolored water should be clearing up as our crews continue to flush lines in impacted areas,” said Tony Carnell, HCWA Deputy Manager. “We want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while assuring them that their water quality is always our top priority.”
If customers are having problems with their laundry as a result of discolored water, water authority officials have a tip to help -- once the tap water clears up, re-wash any discolored items using a cup of peroxide, a cup of white vinegar, their normal detergent and no bleach.
For additional information, visit the Henry County Water Authority's website at HCWA.com.
