Some residents of Kleefeld have noticed their tap water is brown in colour today.
Barry Broesky is Manager of Utilities for the Rural Municipality of Hanover. He says the discolouration is because they have been flushing water mains yesterday and today. This is happening both days from 9 am to 4 pm.
"When we flush the water mains, we get a lot of the sediment out of the mains, so it will be a lot of the iron," he explains. "And that is the discolouration you are seeing."
Broesky is quick to point out that though the water is not aesthetically pleasing, it is perfectly safe to drink. However, he recommends residents run their taps for five to ten minutes in order to clear the lines and restore the water to its normal colour. If it has not cleared up after 10 minutes, he recommends contacting the RM of Hanover office.
Broesky says they also recommend that on water flushing days, residents avoid doing laundry.
"On water flushing days, do not wash whites," he says. "Because they will not be white."
Broesky says the municipality flushes water mains in Kleefeld on the second Wednesday and Thursday of each month from about April to October or November. However, he notes they did not get the chance to flush last month, which could be the reason why the water is a darker brown this week. Broesky explains that last month their crews were busy cleaning reservoirs. He notes that when they clean reservoirs at the water plant, they do not flush water mains, in order not to run short of water if there is an emergency.
Again, Broesky says the flushing is done monthly. He notes their flushing schedule is usually included in the first quarter utility bill that goes out each year. Anyone with questions or concerns is invited to call the RM office at 204-326-4488.