Discolored Water Reported In Derby: City

DERBY, CT — Discolored water was recently reported on the west side of Derby, and city officials said Tuesday they have contacted the Regional Water Authority about it.

In a Facebook post just before noon, city officials said they spent Monday "trying to get answers and communication regarding the discolored water on the west side of town."

According to the city, the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority generally notifies impacted customers directly when there are water issues.

"In this case, they did not," the post reads. "We have asked them to do so to keep residents informed."

The city also shared a message it received Monday evening from RWA that encouraged customers who are still experiencing discolored water to "run cold water taps for about 10 minutes to clear any discolored water that may remain in their plumbing. If the problem persists, of course, they should call us."

The message shared by the city also noted discolored water is not usually a health concern for most people, however it is unappealing and RWA advises against using it for drinking or washing clothes until it runs clear.

In an email to Patch, an RWA spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon the water utility company became aware of the discolored water in the system Sunday and had crews in the area to flush the mains Sunday and Monday.

"While we are not sure what caused this specific issue, discolored water is usually caused by mineral sediment in the pipes that gets temporarily stirred up by construction, unauthorized hydrant use or heavy demand," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said demands were not high over the weekend and the company was not aware of any construction in the area.

The spokesperson also noted the company's first priority is always to address the issue at hand and ensure the safety and well-being of the community.

"We understand the concerns raised by city officials in Derby, and we take them seriously," the spokesperson said. "In this case, there was a breakdown in communication. Sometimes our field professionals, who are focused on resolving the situation as quickly and safely as possible, do not relay conditions back to the office as promptly as we would like. That can unfortunately delay our ability to notify local officials in real time. We are reviewing our internal processes to ensure better coordination and more timely communication moving forward."

In a follow up Facebook post Tuesday evening, city officials said Chief of Staff Linda Fusco spoke with a senior communications specialist for RWA late Tuesday afternoon due to continuing reports of discolored water, as well as sediment, in some areas of the city, particularly the area of Hawthorne Avenue from Silver Hill Road to Sixth Street.

According to the city, RWA provided the following suggestions for residents:

• Turn on every COLD water tap in your house and run the water for 10 minutes straight. Also, flush your toilet multiple times during this period.
• If this doesn’t work, call RWA at 203-562-2040 and file a report specific to your address. This is a 24/7 emergency line.
• DO NOT run HOT water during this period AT ALL. It will bring sediment into your hot water tank.
• DO NOT wash clothes while your tap water is discolored or has sediment. It may stain your clothes.

The city also noted it does not provide water service, which is provided to the vast majority of Derby residents by RWA.