City of Winter Haven, FL
Customers in some areas of the Winter Haven water service area are experiencing various discolorations and odors in the water supply. Please review this notice carefully, and contact the water customer service department at 863-291-5678 to report any concerns or with any questions.
INWOOD WATER PLANT SERVICE AREA
The City of Winter Haven’s water treatment facility located in the Inwood area experienced an equipment failure in January resulting in one of two pumps coming offline. Prior to delivery of necessary parts to make the repair, the second pump experienced a failure. This caused the well to be completely shut down in early September.
Area impacted by Inwood plant shutdown.
Repairs have been made to the first pump allowing the well to be brought back online pending completion of all required testing with the Department of Health. We anticipate the well will be fully cleared and operational before the end of October.
To maintain adequate supply while the well is offline, water is being looped in from another plant. Chlorine levels in water drop as the water travels further or sits for longer. Thus, chlorine levels have been increased within the safe range defined by the Department of Health in order to keep the water supply safe for consumption after it travels the longer distance.
Water lines in the area are being regularly flushed as this aids in pulling the fresh water into the area ensuring the water delivered is fresh and with adequate chlorine levels remaining.
Anytime lines are flushed, the agitation can dislodge naturally occurring minerals lining the pipes into the water supply stream. These minerals can cause the water to have a red or black discoloration. Residents who notice this discoloration in their water should let the tap run until the water runs clear. This usually occurs within a few minutes.
We recognize allowing the water to run until clear will create an increase in household water consumption. The City of Winter Haven is exploring credits to be applied to impacted customers.
IMPACTS OUTSIDE OF THE INWOOD WATER PLANT SERVICE AREA
As a result of the increase in chlorine levels required to maintain safety of water distributed a longer distance to the Inwood service area while the plant is offline, other customers may experience higher-than-usual chlorine levels in their water. This is most noticeable as an odor or a yellow discoloration. Chlorine levels, though higher than usual, are below regulation caps. If there is a discoloration to the water, customers should run the tap until water runs clear.