After months of a foul odor in the town's water system, a Bethlehem official says the town is close to finishing a systemwide flush.
“We’re making significant progress in clearing the system of the odor,” said Paul Penman, the town's commissioner of public works.
He said the odor is tied to algae that developed in the Vly Creek Reservoir around the start of October, but noted it is not toxic.
This led to a significant smell and taste issue with the town's tap water. According to the commissioner and town residents, the odor is a muddy, lake sort of smell.
The main way the town solves the issue is to flush the smelly water out of the system and replace it with fresh water. At this point, he said the problem is moving from a systemwide issue to one the government is troubleshooting in specific parts of town.
"The [only way] to get it out of the system once it's in the pipes is to open up a hydrant and basically waste the water out of the pipe," Penman said. "Basically, you're flushing the water through a hydrant."
The town of Bethlehem has over 220 miles of water pipe, and hundreds of hydrants.
Residents voiced concerns and consternation over the water issues at a public forum on Jan. 8.
Jessica Dillon described her water as having a noxious and nauseating odor that sticks to her hair after she takes a shower and clothes after she washes them. She said she had to purchase bottled water.
Dillon and other residents said the town’s communication on the issues needed improvement.
Officials said last week that they are also trying to develop a more permanent solution that will help keep Bethlehem water safe going forward.
Penman said he sympathized with the residents' concerns, but it took the town some time to put the treatment in place and start flushing. Residents experiencing odor problems are encouraged to contact the town for hydrant flushing, Penman said.
“It did take time. And I appreciate the residents’ frustration. But we’ve made significant progress, and we’ll keep flushing until we’re odor-free,” he said.
One change the town plans to implement in the coming months is it will test the water temperature of their reservoir to determine if it needs anti-algal treatment, as opposed to just treating it based on the calendar date.