Wellington water: safe, if not always fragrant

By Gary Raham
Wellington Correspondent

J. R. Self, author of a Colorado State Extension article on Domestic Water Quality Criteria, says, "Taste and odor problems (in water) are difficult to solve." Bill Bodkins, public works director for the town of Wellington, would agree.

"Water quality changed three times this year," something that doesn't often occur, said Bodkins recently. During 2005 Bodkins had to deal with a combination of factors that never compromised Wellington's water safety but did give water a taste and smell in early summer that wrinkled the noses and offended the tongues of some residents.

Wellington receives most of its water from North Poudre Irrigation Co., which delivers it to Reservoir #3, Smith Lake. When the town was smaller, Wellington used only well water, and still does once a week or so to blend with NPIC water, or when it needs a reserve supply.

Wellington used all well water from November 2004 to April 2005 when Reservoir #3 was completely drained to accommodate repair of a valve and install a second one, so that complete drainage won't be necessary in the future.

From April until June, the town was treating water directly from the canal that feeds the reservoir. This procedure worked fine until heavy runoff from spring rains contributed to equipment problems and algae began to increase rapidly or "bloom." The algae increased the total organic carbon (TOC) content of the water, which produces taste and odor.

Wellington water, like that of other municipalities, gets treated with chlorine dioxide (and sometimes copper sulphate) to eliminate such taste and odors and disinfect the water. This year the treatment unit had several mechanical problems that allowed small amounts of untreated water to mix with a much larger volume of treated water, resulting in taste and odor issues. Human noses and taste buds can readily detect just a few parts per million of such contaminants.

Upgrades to the chlorine dioxide system should be complete by the spring of 2006 and eliminate the breakdowns. By then the reservoir should also be restocked with fish to munch on surplus algal growth. There may yet be some taste and odor problems this fall, depending on how hot it gets. Late season algal blooms and higher reservoir water temperatures typically make September and October problem months.

Wellington water is tested continuously (six times per day) for turbidity (silt or other small, suspended particles) and chlorine. Bodkins pointed out that Wellington water has always tested quite low in turbidity, which is good. Chlorine content also easily meets state requirements.

Water is sampled five times a month at locations spread throughout the community and sent for tests of bacterial and chemical content. Any positive test for dangerous bacteria would require immediate public notice so that people could boil their water. That has never happened. Annual tests for the intestinal parasite, Giardia, have always been negative. The state health department has been satisfied with remediation procedures to date.

Homeowners can also take some measures on their own initiative. Carbon filters attached to water taps remove taste and odor (although they also remove the chlorine that serves to disinfect water). Most of these filters should be replaced yearly (or when they noticeably darken in color). Failure to do so makes them ineffective. Refrigerated water, preferably in glass bottles, reduces objectionable tastes. An open box of baking soda in the frig also neutralizes odors there.

After a surge of "smelly" water goes through the pipes, some may remain in hot water tanks and in drains. Flushing hot water tanks (at least relatively new ones) may be good once a year, and putting peroxide down drains will eliminate residual odor.

When using chlorinated tap water on sensitive plants or to fill fish aquaria, allow the water to sit in an open container overnight so that the chlorine can bubble off.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 to answer questions about water quality or water treatment systems. Anyone interested in performing a bacteriological test on well or other water samples can contact the Colorado Department of Public and Environmental Health, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246-1530, 303-692-2000.