Madison Water Well 29 to be on Standby for Summer

Public Meeting on Filter Set for June 30

Madison-Madison Water Utility's Well 29 will be brought into seasonal standby service as of June 23 to provide a back-up emergency supply for neighborhoods on the far east side of Madison. Shut down during the winter, Well 29 is used only as standby in the summer, when water demand is higher, so that it will be available for fire fighting or other emergencies. In addition, a public meeting will be held on Monday, June 30, at 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Streets East Facility, 4602 Sycamore Avenue to discuss plans for the final site layout and architectural design for the iron and manganese filter that will be installed at Well 29. Madison Alder Lauren Cnare as well as Water Utility staff and the filter design consultants will be available to explain and discuss project details. In "standby" status, Well 29 pumps for short periods only twice per week to refresh the water in the well's reservoir, an action necessary to ensure a proper chlorine level in the water. Well 29 water will enter the distribution system only on Mondays from 8:00 a.m. to noon and from 10:00 p.m.Thursdays to 2:00 a.m. on Fridays. This schedule enables the Water Utility to have staff on site each time the well is run to ensure that it is functioning properly, to confirm proper chlorination, to take water quality samples, and to minimize customer impacts. Homes and businesses located within the area bounded by Commercial Avenue, Interstate 90/94, Lien Road, and Walsh Drive may receive water from Well 29 during the two four-hour periods when it operates. Because of high levels of naturally occurring manganese and iron from Well 29, water may cause staining of laundry and plumbing fixtures, although the levels of these minerals are not high enough to cause health problems. The Water Utility asks customers to avoid doing laundry during the well operating periods to avoid potential risk. Customers should not drink, cook, or prepare baby formula with discolored water. If residents get discolored water, they should let a cold water tap run for 20 minutes or until it clears; if the water does not clear, they should call the Water Utility at 266-4654. Customers wanting to receive regular updates on Madison's drinking water quality can subscribe to the Drinking Water Quality Listserv at http://lavos.wiscnet.net/mailman/listinfo/drinkingwaterquality. In addition, information on which well(s) serve a specific address can be found on our website, www.madisonwater.org, under the Water Quality tab, or by calling the Water Utility. ###

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