One small, tucked away community in South West Michigan has been experiencing discolored water for weeks. After multiple calls to the City of Kalamazoo, little was done to discover the cause of the issue.

 

In Comstock Township near East Main and Sprinkle road lies the Merry Brook neighborhood. The families and people in the small loop of houses recently had an issue with their tap water looking off colored. Once everyone started discussing the issue in their Facebook Group for the neighborhood, they quickly realized it wasn't just one or two homes. Multiples homes in this one mile loop were seeing yellow or orange water in their sinks.

Google Maps
Google Maps
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Just a few weeks before the discolored water, hydrants in the area were flushed as usual, but there aren't any notable issues that we could find of discolored water persisting beyond 24 hours of the day they were flushed.

 

Courtesy of Rayline M
Courtesy of Rayline M
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Courtesy Jeannie B
Courtesy Jeannie B
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After reports that there was a water main break in the area as the possible cause, the community continued to have issues.The hydrants in the area were seasonally flushed on April 25 and concern was raised on June 4 about the water. It took another three weeks, until June 24 to have the city out again to flush the hydrants once more. This was done after several calls from multiple homes in the area. Even then, they were only told that the city "still believed the discoloration was iron" according to one Facebook post.

Courtesy Dale W
Courtesy Dale W
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Courtesy Shirley S
Courtesy Shirley S
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With everyone on high alert from the Flint Water discovery earlier this year, you would think that cities would be proactive about notifying their communities about any issues, so as not to raise alarm. As it is, we're paying for this water, and these services, it feels like we are getting very little customer service when it comes to any real concerns. However, with persistence, you can have your concerns addressed. Here is what you can do, if you have concerns about your water. Sometimes, it only takes one person to discover an issue, don't let it wait if you're unsure.

Courtesy of Kristin C
Courtesy of Kristin C
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What If I Have A Concern About The Safety Of My Water?

  • Contact Kalamazoo City (if in Kalamazoo City Water district) and inquire about any pipe maintenance that you may not be aware of.
  • Turn your faucet to a cold setting and run for 15 minutes to see if the issue persists. I could be a momentary build up that can run it's way out of the system.
  • Keep track of the issue you see. Things such as, how long as my water been discolored or tainted?
  • If the problem persists, check with neighbors and ask them to join you in requesting help from the city with the issue.
  • Take water safety into your own hands and learn how you can help maintain clean water in your area.

 

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