St. Helena Takes Its Brown Water Battle Underground |
A citywide pipe-cleaning project begins next week. Will it finally bring lasting relief to residents? |
For St. Helena residents tired of brown or yellow water coming from their taps, a major effort to clean the city's water mains is about to begin.
As we reported previously, residents have been dealing with recurring water discoloration while city officials investigate its causes. Now, St. Helena is preparing its most extensive pipe-cleaning effort yet.
Starting the week of October 26, contractor Hydrologics is expected to begin high-velocity flushing of approximately 45 miles of water mains, removing accumulated sediment and mineral deposits that city officials have linked to recurring discoloration. The project is expected to take 45 to 50 working days.
The effort follows a successful June pilot that cleaned nearly nine miles of water mains. That project used a filtration and recirculation process to remove sediment without wasting water.
But cleaning the pipes is only part of the investigation.
Specialized cameras are being deployed to inspect the main transmission line from the Bell Canyon treatment plant, along with approximately four miles of distribution pipes. The inspections will help officials evaluate pipe conditions, including different pipe materials, and measure how effectively the flushing removes accumulated deposits.
The city is also investigating water-treatment chemistry, inspecting storage tanks, and planning upgrades to its aging monitoring and control systems.
The problem remains significant.
During September alone, St. Helena received 124 reports involving water quality, taste, or odor. Crews responded with localized flushing that discharged approximately 366,000 gallons of water.
Residents will receive advance notice as the city finalizes its neighborhood-by-neighborhood cleaning schedule.
Whether the work delivers lasting improvement remains to be seen. But for households that have spent months wondering what will come out of the tap, the results should be visible.
Residents can find updates and report problems through the city's Water Updates page. |
24 Comments
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My neighbor and I have both had water that smelled strange. I hope the city figures out the cause, not just the symptoms.
I appreciate that they are upgrading the old monitoring systems too. Better information could help catch problems sooner.
Please make the advance notices easy to find. Not everyone checks the city website every day.
Jayden F.Agreed. A mailed notice or door hanger would reach people who rarely check the website.
A successful pilot is encouraging, but I want to see whether the improvement lasts after all 45 miles are done.
Helen C.Same here. Hopefully they keep tracking reports after the work so we can see if it really holds.
October 26 can't come soon enough. Our tap water has looked off more than once this year.
Glad they are also checking the treatment chemistry and storage tanks. There could be more than one cause.
Sofia N.Exactly. It makes sense to look at the whole system before settling on one cause.
We have been buying bottled water for months. I hope the results are actually noticeable at home.
That 366,000 gallons from localized flushing is hard to hear. The recirculation method seems like a better way to go.
I’m curious if the pipe materials are part of the issue. The inspections should tell them a lot.
Caleb S.That’s what I’m wondering too. Different materials could help explain why some areas are affected more.
45 to 50 working days sounds like a long stretch. Please keep residents updated as crews move around.
Nancy W.Yes, a neighborhood schedule would make it easier to know when crews are nearby and what to expect.
Good that they are checking the transmission line with cameras too. Cleaning alone might not answer what is causing it.
Andre P.Right. If there’s an issue farther upstream, flushing the neighborhood pipes may only help temporarily.
We had yellow water last week and had to run the tap for ages. Hope this makes a difference.
Jill M.Sorry you had to deal with that. I hope the flushing reaches your street soon.
124 reports in one month is a lot. Glad the city is finally looking at more than just flushing spots.
45 miles is a huge project. I hope they share the neighborhood schedule well ahead of time.
The June pilot sounds promising, especially if they can clean the pipes without wasting a lot of water.
Tom R.That was the encouraging part for me too. Hope the larger project can use the same approach.
I really hope this works. I'm tired of checking the water before I fill the kettle.