WESTON, Fla. – For some people living in Weston, they’ve been reporting seeing brown or yellow water coming from their sink and bath faucets.
Susan Bain has lived in Weston for 20 years and she told Local 10 News she was very concerned by what she saw coming out of her faucet.
“It’s been on and off for me since the beginning of summer,” said Bain. “That first time I saw the brown water I was brushing my teeth with clear water and in the middle of brushing my teeth, the water turned brown.”
She wasn’t alone. Other neighbors posted pictures on Facebook, showing their sinks, toilets and bathtubs, filled with nasty-looking water.
Weston City Manager Don Decker said they have definitely noticed an uptick in complaints lately, but he also says that’s normal for the rainy season.
“It is unpleasant to see, it’s unpleasant to be in, so we certainly are aware of those concerns,” said Decker. “People aren’t irrigating their yards as much, they aren’t having to re-fill their pools as much. And when water consumption is down, that water is more still in the system, and therefore is creating some of the sediment and so forth.”
That sediment, Decker said, is a mixture of rust and other minerals that settle in the water when it sits still for too long, but he insists the water is safe.
“It is safe, the water is measured for safety hundreds of times by the City of Sunrise every day, even by the City of Weston here locally, we measure the water to make sure it’s safe to drink,” said Decker.
If this is happening in a home, the short-term fix is to flush the pipes by running the water in all faucets for several minutes until they run clear, but if it keeps happening, public works should be called.
As for a long-term fix, Weston actually gets its water from Sunrise, and they told Local 10 News’ Ian Margol they are actively working with consultants to improve color and clarity, but say this is typical of water systems, and that they address it regularly by opening up fire hydrants and flushing out water lines.