Calcium and iron from some pipes cause water discoloration, but officials say it's safe to drink straight from the tap.
By CARRIE JOHNSON
Published January 11, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - Complaints about rusty drinking water have skyrocketed in recent months.
Blame the mix of the current cocktail - a blend of surface, ground and desalinated water - and the chemicals used to treat it.
The combination loosens scales from the insides of old city pipes and puts them through your faucet.
The water is potable, if not pretty. The reports have come from across the city, including the mayor and a member of the City Council.
"The water had been yellow for a while, but it was getting progressively worse and worse. Then that one day it was really bad," council member Virginia Littrell said in a telephone interview Thursday.
She had discussed the situation earlier in the day during a City Council meeting.
The fresh water to brew her coffee one November morning came out of the tap the color of diluted iced tea. Alarmed, she called the city to complain. She was far from alone.
The number peaked in October, when the department received 120 calls from residents throughout the city. It has dropped some since but still remains higher than normal.
The department used to average fewer than 20 calls a month, said Patti Anderson, the city's director of water resources.
The concerns began in September 2002, when Tampa Bay Water added surface water and water treated at a desalination plant to St. Petersburg's blend, Anderson said. Previously, St. Petersburg had used mostly groundwater.
The different chemistry has created some problems, especially for those who have galvanized pipes.
Older pipes have scales, Anderson said. The new blend of water has loosened some of those scales, releasing calcium and iron deposits that have built up over the years.
Those who see the glass half full could think of it as mineral water.
Still, the complaints have come from all over the city and aren't concentrated in any specific areas, she added. Even Mayor Rick Baker has reported problems at his home in the Old Northeast neighborhood.
The city has tried to lessen the problem by flushing water through the pipes.
Officials have also adjusted the pH balance of the water and are studying long-term solutions.
In addition, the city is in the process of updating its pipes.
While the brown water may not be pretty, it's not dangerous.
"The water in St. Petersburg is safe," Littrell said. "It's drinkable. On some days, it's even tasty."
City residents are encouraged to let their faucets run for a few minutes if they see brown water.
Call the city at 893-7761 if the problem doesn't subside, Anderson said.
"We really want to know where the problems are coming from," she said. "And unless people call, we won't know."
