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Thursday, February 09, 2017

Over capacity, too few users blamed for water troubles

Pocomoke City’s water troubles are caused by too much storage and not enough people making use of the service, resulting in stale water containing deposits of iron and other materials being fed into the town’s homes, according to GMB consultants, the firm hired by the town to identify the source of the problem.

Testing concluded the water leaving the plant contained no iron, or any of the other deposits that might cause the water to have an unpleasant odor, color and taste. The sediment-rich solution from the taps would also clog filters and stain clothing, dishware and houses washed with the substance. Several people have claimed the town’s water had changed the color of their hair.

Scott Getchell, the project manager for GMB on the Pocomoke City water problem, explained to the council Monday evening that the computer simulation of the town’s system yielded some answers to the town’s questions.

“It’s evident to us that the flows in the southern part of town are greatly diminished,” he said. “There’s sizable plumbing in the area, and a lot more storage than users.”

Getchell explained that as water in the pipes stagnates, it becomes more acidic and is therefore more likely to chemically interact with the transport pipes. The interaction creates the sediment, color and odor residents are complaining about.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dunno, after all these years and now all of sudden this is the cause? Doesn't seem plausible.

Anonymous said...

I have been a Pocomoke City resident for 65 years and this same problem has been around as long as I can remember. About 40 years ago the City solved the problem by opening a fire hydrant on the dead end of the line out by the high school and letting the water run for a day or two. If it worked then why won't it work now? GMB is just trying to pad their invoice, and that's not something new, either.

Anonymous said...

5:07-Because continuous & gradual water usage is better than a periodic hydrant flushing.Why residents use so little water is anyones guess,but their water bills might be too high for them to afford to use an adequate amount.

Anonymous said...

Isn't polyphosphate an option

Anonymous said...

Pocomoke city has been on the decline for decades.

Anonymous said...

According to article problem is on south end of town. Maybe problem is because shopping center that used to be at corner of 13 & 113 doesn't have many stores anymore.