Brown water continues to flow from some taps in Bluffton, Hardeeville.
Discolored water continues to flow through taps in the Bluffton and Hardeeville areas after crews with the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority worked overnight to address the issue.
On Friday, there were new reports of discolored water in Old Town Bluffton and Moss Creek, according to Jeff La Rue, spokesperson for BJWSA.
Other affected areas include New Riverside, Rose Hill Plantation, Hampton Lake, Latitude and Sun City, according to BJWSA.
The discoloration is caused by manganese deposits that were dislodged from pipes, La Rue said. Crews with the BJWSA are responding to affected areas by opening up fire hydrants to flush out the discolored water. Affected residents are encouraged to run cold water through a faucet for 10 minutes. If there is no improvement after that period, the water authority encourages people to report any discoloration to the water authority. Boiling water will not solve the issue.
The water authority advises residents to not drink any discolored water, as the high levels of manganese give it an unpleasant, bitter taste, La Rue said. Affected residents should also avoid washing light colored clothes, as the water could cause stains.
While there are new reports of discoloration, affected areas are seeing improvements in the time it takes to flush the discolored water out via a fire hydrant and the color of the water, according to BJWSA. The water authority is also trying to prevent discolored water from reaching Palmetto Bluff by opening nearby fire hydrants, La Rue said.
While a number of local businesses have remained unaffected, some are noticing issues. Conner Millen, general manager for Nectar Farm Kitchen in Old Town Bluffton, said the restaurant does have a water filtration system for ice and water that customers drink. The water running out of taps in bathrooms appeared to be discolored.
“The sink water is a little off color.” Millen said on Friday morning. “I’ve heard worse is going around, ours is pretty mild.”
On Thursday, Novant Health Coastal Carolina Medical Center was also affected by discolored water. Staff provided bottled water until the the issue resolved, according to Matt Conrad, president of the Coastal Carolina Medical Center.
Target in Bluffton off of U.S. Route 278 had plenty of bottled water in stock as of Friday afternoon.
What caused the discolored water?
Manganese, a mineral commonly found in tap water in small doses, is the source of brown and discolored water coming out of taps in Southern Beaufort County
When staff were testing a new pump at the recently-expanded Purrysburg Water Treatment Plant, the equipment turned on and off several times. The malfunction caused a disturbance in pressure that dislodged the manganese deposits in the system, leading to the discolored water, La Rue said.
What is the response from BJWSA?
La Rue said that upon recognizing the issues, BJWSA pulled together a team to respond and triage reports of discolored water.
As daytime crews who were responding to reports neared the end of their workday on Thursday, BJWSA called in reinforcements on top of the regular night crew to help throughout the night. The water authority asked team members who had been reassigned or promoted, but still had training to safely open fire hydrants, to step in. At the same time, staff were mapping and triaging reports of discolored water on a map.
The water authority will continue sending crews out to flush out discolored water until reports subside, he said.
