Columbia County Water Utility is committed to providing high-quality water to all our customers. We understand that recent reports of brown or discolored water, as well as fluctuations in water pressure, have caused concern, and we want our community to know that we hear you and are taking decisive action. To address these concerns more aggressively, we have established a Water Quality Task Force. This team is dedicated to identifying the root causes of discoloration and pressure fluctuations, responding quickly to customer complaints, and implementing both short- and long-term improvements to prevent future issues.

What We Are Doing for Customers

• Dedicated Reporting Line: A specific phone line is now available for water quality concerns. When a customer calls, we will dispatch staff to investigate, take samples, and document the issue in detail. The number is 706-863-6928.

• Immediate Response & Follow-Up: Our team will work to resolve the problem quickly, return for re-sampling, and confirm that the issue has been corrected.

• Customer Communication: The Distribution Department will provide regular updates and educational materials to help customers understand our efforts and water quality standards.

Behind the Scenes: The Task Force Plan

The Water Quality Task Force includes experts from water treatment, distribution, laboratory services, asset management, and utility management. Their coordinated responsibilities include:

• Water Treatment: Monitoring system trends daily, managing manganese levels, and improving treatment processes.

• Distribution: Implementing targeted system flushing, isolating affected tanks when necessary, and analyzing patterns to prevent future events.

• Laboratory Testing: Conducting frequent sampling during events, trending manganese data, and accelerating testing during active cases.

• Asset Management: Tracking customer complaints, identifying problem areas, creating heat maps, and integrating Hyper-Reach notifications to alert customers in specific zones.

Short-Term Actions:

• Weekly Task Force meetings to ensure rapid progress.

• Adjusting system operations to reduce pressure and flow fluctuations that can cause discolored water and pressure instability.

• Enhanced staff training and customer education initiatives.

Long-Term Actions:

• Mechanical cleaning of large transmission mains and ice pigging of smaller distribution mains.

• Installation of power monitoring equipment at the Blanchard Water Treatment Plant to address power-related disruptions that contribute to water quality and pressure issues.

Columbia County Water Utility remains committed to transparency and continuous improvement. For water quality or pressure concerns, call our dedicated line at 706-863-6928, 24 hours a day, or email [email protected] during work hours only.