Water Department tackles sediment in Ranau supply
Published on: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
By: Sidney Skinner
Staff from the department’s water quality section perform an odour test on the supply leading into the consumer’s meter.
The Water Department has flushed a section of the distribution mains in Ranau to minimise the presence of sediment in the water coming from taps in the area.This action was prompted by feedback about the poor quality of the supply in this part of the district.
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A consumer, living near the town, was troubled by the “brown and dirty” water which intermittently flowed inside her house. This had made her wonder if the supply was being properly purified.
She provided Hotline with her address which was forwarded to the agency.
A Department spokesman said, shortly thereafter, an inspection was made of her area.
“As a preliminary measure, flushing was carried out on the distribution-line leading to the neighbourhood,” he said.
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He said the agency’s technicians later checked on the condition of the pipes before the meter outside her house.
“They removed some foreign objects, including sand, which were blocking the inlet for the device, before gauging the pressure of the supply entering the premises.
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“The water pressure, at the time, was found to be acceptable.”
He said personnel with the Department’s Quality section also tested samples of the supply reaching her house.
“One of them scooped up a handful of water to see if it smelt while her peer added a solution to another sample to try and detect any impurities inside.
“They failed to find anything amiss with the cleanliness of the supply.”
He said these staff noted the presence of a black storage tank inside the garage of the house where the consumer was staying.
“They wanted to test the quality of the water within the receptacle but were unable to do so because there was nobody at home at the time.
“The consumer may want to have the tank cleaned, should any foreign objects inside be contributing to the irregularities relating to the clarity and odour of her tap water.”
KEESHA of Ranau said the supply in her home periodically resembled a chocolate-coloured beverage.
“Sometimes, when the taps are turned on first thing in the morning, the water looks like Milo,” she said.
“The supply clears up a bit after several hours, so much so that it resembles ‘Teh-O-Pok’.”
She said running this supply through a filter very often didn’t help to do away with these irregularities.
“It is impossible to make drinks, let alone shower or brush my teeth, when the water is in this condition.”
Keesha has been increasingly relying on bottled water to accomplish these tasks.
She said, in several instances, there had also been an “odd smell” about the supply.
“This odour, at times, reminds me of water that has been trapped underground for a long time.
“On other occasions, it smells like rust.”
Keesha was concerned about the negative impact that the unclean supply was likely to have on the well-being of those living in the neighbourhood.
The housing area, which was located about six kilometres away from the town, was made up of between 50-60 homes, according to her.
She has observed that the water quality in her home generally deteriorated after the supply had been disrupted.
“This has been happening on and off over the past few weeks. In each instance, I the taps in my home ran dry for several hours.
“When I regained my supply, the water was murky. It remained like this for a few days.”
Keesha shared her frustrations with a neighbour who lamented the hefty laundry bill he had run up because the murky supply prevented him from using his washing machine.
“The water discolours his clothes, so he has no choice but to bring his soiled clothes to a laundrette.”
“He told me that he had phoned the Department several times about the poor condition of the supply but so far the quality of the water had yet to improve.”
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