Jason Langley, water and sewer director, said many residents called to report the brown water that morning. He said the discolored water was safe to drink, but the coloring was due to increased demands on the system.
“Now we’re going into the drier season, and everybody is watering grass and we’re sending out notifications trying to water it at different times instead of at peak demand and peak demand, of course, you all know, 6 to 9 in the mornings and in the afternoons from 3 to around 7,” Langley said. “With that, they’re using more water than we can produce right now.”
He said the water has been tested and is safe to drink. “We meet or exceed all federal and state regulatory standards,” he said.
He said irrigation in the northern area served by the water system increased demand and reversed the flow of water in many of the pipes. That stirred sediment in the pipes.
Langley said the high demand and its effect on water clarity shows the need for projects now planned to increase Fairhope’s water capacity.
“So, these projects that you’ll see coming up that we’ve got out for bid, that’s another reason we need the water,” Langley said. “We’re doing the best we can. We’re doing some flushing. When I say flushing, lightly around town, just opening hydrants and pulling the water back so it will clear up and that’s worked very well for us today. All around town we had water cleared up right after lunch.”
Fairhope is developing plans to install a new water line on Baldwin County 33 to Fairhope Avenue, a distance of about 2.6 miles. The estimated cost of the project is about $3.82 million.
New wells are also planned in the area, which would increase the city’s water capacity from 9 million to 10 million gallons a day to 15 million to 18 million gallons a day, according to reports.
