WATER QUALITY Notices

Updated August 25, 2009

Well 29 – After nearly seven months of construction, the filter at Well 29 began operating on April 15, 2009. The filter is expected to reduce iron and manganese to levels well below the secondary drinking water standards of 0.3 mg/L and 50 ug/L, respectively.

Click here for test results for samples collected from the start of filter operation through August 18.  The table shows results for unfiltered water and filtered water as it entered the distribution system.  All samples were analyzed by a certified drinking water laboratory.

Water quality issues had been a problem at Well 29 since its start-up in 2005. Elevated levels of these naturally occurring minerals led to discolored water observed at customer taps as well as stained laundry and plumbing fixtures.

The well is expected to pump year round and deliver about 1.6 million gallons per day to East Side residents. An official dedication was held August 15 when final construction and site landscaping were complete.

Updated October 2009

Well 10 - The Water Utility did not operate Well 10 this year.  However, future drought conditions or sustained periods of heavy water use during the higher demand summer months (June-September) could require that the well be placed on reserve supply.  Whenever the well is under the designation of "reserve supply," utility staff maintain the readiness of the well to be available for a water emergency but without pumping water into the distribution system. 

Currently, the well is out of service.  Water Utility staff review temperature, precipitation, and water demand trends on a biweekly basis during the summer months to assess the need for a change in well status.  Any change in status will be posted on our website and the Drinking Water Quality listserv.

Well 3 - Well 3 was permanently abandoned in April 2008. The well produced water with high levels of iron and manganese, and it was the only Madison well in which carbon tetrachloride was detected. The well was shut down in September 2006 prior to its abandonment in 2008.

Carbon tetrachloride is a man-made contaminant found in solvents and produced from industrial processes. At elevated levels, it is a known carcinogen. More information can be found on the EPA website.