Water quality and well number 6

[Ken Coleman]

I have had problems with my town water for the past few months. I have been having staining in my Hot tub ( it gets bad with every water change) and I finally had my water tested and they found very high levels of iron and possibly other metals. I was also told by a local contractor that they are having a number of these issues in Merrimack. My question is what has changed in the town’s water supply and more to the point is there any relationship to this issue and the restart of Well number 6?

I hope that some of the water commissioners will respond here. I will also be contacting them my email, but I think a public response is warranted.

Ken Coleman

[Jeannine Stergios]

Ken

We are having similar issues. Our icemaker broke down two weeks ago and the repairman from Fletcher's Appliances said it was due to the high iron content in the water which corrodes the metal parts. He said we were luckier than most in our area because the high iron content usually destroys the icemaker in 5 years while ours lasted over 8 years.

[tim dutton]

To bad their meetings are during the day.

[lynn]

according to MVD ( I picked up the phone and called)

Well #6 is NOT online
They say they occasionally have high iron when Well 7 and 8 are online ( they have not been for over a year)
and occasionally with Well #3
There should not be "other metals" except for manganese which does not cause staining.
"local contractor" may be repeating rumor from past years.

sometimes problems are from internal, though would be surprised in your case Ken since you have a relatively new house.

However - upon request - the MVD will send someone to the house to help trouble shoot the issue

Call them - 424-9241

[Pat McGrath]

The issues with Wells 7 & 8 are well known to the MVD and you'll come to learn that over two years ago they had a study done regarding the water quality and what could be done to rectify the situation. For us in the very South end of Town, the water is greatly drawn from these 2 wells. These wells by the way are the ones the MVD owns on land situated in Hollis. So even with the filters near to the well heads, people in the Naticook Road area really get the full effect when the manganese and iron levels are high.

Yes it stains all sorts of things and in the summer it is particularly high if there is a large and constant draw of water from those wells. In the past, MVD flushed water mains maybe 2 times a year. Since I appeared two years in a row before the MVD Board they stepped up the flushing and the issue seems to be less of a problem. Also create Mother Nature with a few wet summers which allowed less watering of lawns.

The problem is more than you might think it is. Lift up your tank cover in your bathroom. See all of that brown sediment. That is the junk that is coming through the system. In the summer, the water coming out of the tap has a mild yellow tinge -- somewhat like light urine. The smell is close to what cooked brussel sprouts smell like.

And with the way the MVD mixes water from the wells in certain sections of town using the water towers, other areas get some of this, but not as severe as the Naticook Road area does.

There is a mechanical solution to the systemic problem, but the cost estimates to construct a sophisticated filtering system is well north of a $1 million dollars and I think I recall seeing something like $4 million. So in the interim, the MVD does supply instructions to homeowners as to how to drain, flush and properly refill your hot water tank. If you hook up a hose to the v Some neighbors have installed water filters in their homes, but MVD will not cover the cost of them nor the replacement filters.There is a valve at the bottom of your tank, you will will see some very discolored water and sentiment. But if you do this each month there is less and less each time. And if MVD can be aggressive with their flushing and you can be vigilant at home, at least the staining and the odor can be kept at bay.

As for the iron content and the manganese content that likely will still be present I suggest consulting with engineers and these water testing companies for recommendations. For some it may be a health hazard particularly if you have iron and or manganese levels in your body that are too high.

So Ken, contact MVD, get their guidance and see if the situation improves by draining and flushing your tanks.

Pat McGrath

[Jeannine Stergios]

Pat

Thank you for the explanation. We have had that brown stuff floating around in our toilets and the only thing that seems to help is placing a clorox tablet in the tank. At least now I know where it's coming from.

[Ken Coleman]

Thanks Pat and everyone else.

I will be contacting the WVD to see what is going on.

I am glad to here that well number 6 is not on line. I had been told by a commissioner last year that it was slowing being turned on.

Ken