Plant Malfunction Causing Rusty Water

If you happen to notice rust-colored water coming out of your tap today, the City of Edina says don't worry about it.

One of the city's treatment plants backwashed Wednesday afternoon, according to Assistant Public Works Director Roger Glanzer. That malfunction released water which had not yet gone through iron removal filters into the system, creating the rusty color. While it might not look appealing, he said it's "still chemically safe."

"The water itself probably doesn't smell, look or taste very good," Glanzer said. "But it's not harmful or anything. If you used it to wash your hands or brush your teeth, you'll be fine."

Crews are going to be flushing hydrants throughout the city today to purge the system, and Glanzer said residents can turn on their cold water taps and let the unsightly water run for a few minutes "to allow the system to clear."

The city says the majority of reports of rust-colored water received thus far are west of Hwy. 100, just north of Hwy. 62 and as far south as . Officials expect the water to be back to normal within 24 hours.

Glanzer said it's not unusual for iron-heavy water to backwash into systems. He said workers will begin the annual process of flushing hydrants throughout the city next week, clearing iron sediment out of water mains. Crews will be flushing hydrants east of Hwy. 100 next week, then hitting those west of Hwy. 100 the week afterward.

"People might want to just check their water before they wash their clothes for the next couple of weeks," Glanzer said. "There's always the potential for creating red water while we're flushing."