Springfield water

[fsujax]

I called JEA yesterday. They are suppose to be sending someone out to investigate.

[77danj7]

We opened a ticket on the website...they left a tag on our door saying the "flushed" the system and it was all clean and clear.  Well the water smells terrible in our house still!

[fsujax]

yeah. i still have the smell too.

[fsu813]

There were at least 2 fire hydrants with caps off and water flowing into the streets this afternoon. Both had JEA tickets on them.

I'm guessing this was an attempt to purge the water system.

[hooplady]

Oddly enough I haven't noticed the smell, but tonight they were flushing the system at 7th and Market too, so my area must be affected.

[heights unknown]

Sufur water tastes like fart (not that I know what a fart tastes like but the sulfur water smell gives me an idea).

Heights Unknown

[brainstormer]

I noticed my water smells especially when I am doing laundry.  Both yesterday and today, my whites (two different loads) have come out with streaks of yellow.  Could this be from the water? I live on 7th.  The one load only had white socks and t-shirts, nothing to bleed yellow and they are all streaked with yellow!!! Ugh.  Anyone else having trouble with discolored laundry?

[JaxByDefault]

They opened our hydrant and flushed the lines on the 1100-1300 blocks of Walnut last week after several of us opened tickets with JEA. The water still tastes tinny and smells terrible.

[Deuce]

I saw a Fire hydrant being flushed at the corner of hubbard and 4th too. This morning I noticed a much heavier smell of chlorine in the shower as if some extra disinfecting was being done. I'm still digging on what the total situation is. When I have a complete picture, I'll post.

[77danj7]

Thanks Deuce!
Sure is pretty widespread...

[JaxByDefault]

After days of neighbors and I constantly pestering JEA about the water quality problem in Springfield, JEA sent John Burnam, an environmental scientist with JEA, to flush the lines (again!) and tell us what to do.

In brief, he said that the water has a harmless bacteria (which is present in all water) that was flushed out of the 1st St. water facility. Normally, the bacteria passes through unnoticed. If the bacteria is present in high enough quantities, however, it can take up residence in your water heater. This sulfur bacteria produces hydrogen sulfide, which gives the water the horrible taste and smell that we've all been dealing with. Hydrogen sulfide can also bind with the chlorine in the water to leave suspended yellow particles in the water.

You can learn more about this at:

http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education2/78-hydrogen-sulfide.htm or

http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/0319.html

Most importantly...how to remedy the problem:

(1) Turn your water heater up to 160 degrees (or hotter) and leave it for at least 8 hours. Longer would probably be better. This will kill the bacteria in your tank. Important: Do NOT use your hot water after you do this. Water at 160 degrees will cause severe burns in one second! Put notes on every faucet to remind yourself and others not to use the hot water.

(2) Eight (or more) hours later, pour several tablespoons of bleach down every sink, shower, etc. in your house. Leave for several minutes and then flush out with water. This will kill all of the bacteria growing in your traps.

I don't know if you will have to drain/use all of the water in your water heater to get rid of all of your previously contaminated water, but I plan on taking a long shower tomorrow morning to drain it...just to be on the safe side.

If you do all of this and your problem persists..call John 665-4502 to let him know. He is very friendly and will let you know what to do.

Hope this helps!

[ChriswUfGator]

Rather than showering with it, I'd attach a hose to the drain at the bottom of the water heater, shut off the incoming water valve to it, and then drain the contents outside. 

[hooplady]

^^^
That's all well and good, but several residents confirmed that they have tankless water heaters and still have the smell.  Does that mean the bacteria has taken up residence in their piping?  That makes me a little skeptical of the city's explanation.

[downtownparks]

One more thing, for ya to think about hoop. My neighbor has had a big problem with it, but we have only smelled it one time, about a week or so ago.

I will admit, however, that we have a gas hotwater heater, and I keep it pretty hot. I LOVES me some hot water. So that may be making the diff.

[Ocklawaha]

Looks like a good spot for a water well don't cha' think?

As a City Councilman in Oklahoma, our problem was getting water without OIL in it, this is when I discovered that "Sweet Crude" is damn near refined gasoline when it comes out of the ground. We were ALWAYS in violation for nitrates and there wasn't a damn thing we could do short of a pipeline to the Ozarks. Our utilities department would flush the lines with a super chlorinated water concentration. Of course when that happened everyone noticed the bad smell and taste. Perhaps something like this is going on.

Also as a long time cracker, remember that when consolidation came this city had about 2 dozen different utilities companies serving it. One side of the street was on ABC and the other was XYZ... It was a nightmare to link everything into a unified system, and I suspect large portions of the old lines are still in use. Thus if it's in the lines, one would have to know who put them there and how, making sure they didn't get a great deal on surplus lead pipe from an old Roman Empire yard sale.

As for sulfur, it won't hurt you, in fact many claim it is healthy and superior to regular tap water. A slightly sulfur content is going to be in most Florida spring water anyway. Again, where are the City wells? Our little Oklahoma town had to pipe it from a shared well field in a rare sandy valley about 15 miles Northeast and across the Cimarron River. The river is EXTREME SALT WATER, due to flowing through salt plains in Kansas and northern Oklahoma. The area toward Flemming Island even some of Ortega Hills, Collins Road etc... was once all sulfur water. Green Cove Spring(s) is a huge Sulfur Spring attached to the municipal pool, Magnolia Spring is also Sulfur (if memory serves me). So is the old NAS Switzerland artesian well in St. Johns County.

As the water table in the wells falls, which they have for the last 40 years in Florida, we are getting more and more salt and/or sulfur intrusion. Entire well fields in the area of Oviedo, NE of Orlando are all saltwater today.

So hang onto your hats boys and girls, this might be one for the detectives, perhaps another of our source wells has gone sour? Someday we'll be drinking the Okefenokee... but I think oil tastes better.

OCKLAWAHA
PS: Charles, do you really think that cool aid was for the rail guy? Hum? Just moved to St. Johns County! HEE HEE!