W.Utica Water Discoloration Due To Unscheduled Testing

Utica, NY (WIBX) - Officials with the Mohawk Valley Water Authority are dealing with more discolored water due to an unscheduled fire hydrant test being conducted by the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center on Noyes Street in West Utica. MVWA Director, Pat Becher says the test is stirring things up and causing discolored water that is not related to the Manganese issue the Authority has been working to resolve for the past several weeks now.

Becher said, "Today, unfortunately we got caught off guard a little bit. The Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center was going to be testing their sprinkler system and running some fire flows, which normally stirs things up in the main. It had been scheduled for Wednesday and we intended on notifying customers in the area on Tuesday, to expect the water to be temporarily discolored. For reasons we're not sure of they decided to run their tests beginning today. So, we have an awful lot of customers calling us from the West Utica area saying the water is now discolored."

Becher says he wants to get the word out to customers that the discoloration is not related to the Manganese issue, and that officials are working to resolve this new water discoloration matter. "What's happening this afternoon in West Utica is not unlike the kinds of calls we get when it's a water main break or if it's a fire, and the fire department runs a hydrant. It just stirs things up temporarily and the same precautions that we normally would say apply; try not to do laundry for those couple of hours when the water might be temporarily darkened," he said. He also advices that residents avoid using their hot water for a few hours until the water returns to normal later today. You can find more information regarding the advisory by visiting, www.mvwa.us.