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Strasburg Borough officials say rust in a 110-year-old pipeline is to blame for several complaints received this year about orange-tinted water.
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Since January, Strasburg Borough has been getting occasional calls from residents complaining about discolored water, borough manager Lisa Boyd said.
Officials believe the orange tint is due to rust from an aging pipeline on the borough's east side. The pipe is estimated to be 110 years old, Boyd said.
Officials want to replace the pipe as part of a package of upgrades to its public water infrastructure. Cost is a concern, however: Preliminary estimates put the total at $4.4 million.
There is no danger to public health from the discoloration, borough council chairman Harold Wiker said.
"We have our water tested every week by Lancaster Lab, and each time the tests have come back saying our water is fine," he said.
The borough's public works department also performs daily tests on the water.
Brian Swistock, a water resources extension specialist for Penn State University, said iron in water is not harmful for human consumption."As far as health goes, there is no concern," he said. "It may not have a good aesthetic appeal and it may have a strong metallic taste to it, (but) the drinking water standard for iron in water is not related to health."
The recommended standard for iron in water is no more than 0.3 milligrams per liter, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"We see (iron in water) occurring very often," Swistock said. "About 15 to 20 percent of public supply water have iron levels in the water each year."
Boyd said the borough also flushes its water system regularly to help clear the lines.
"We flush the water system in the entire borough every six months. The 110-year-old pipe is located on the east side of Strasburg Borough, though. We do monthly flushes to the water system on that side of town," Boyd said.
The monthly flushes began in April, and occur at 10 a.m. on the first Monday of each month, Boyd said.
Letters have been sent to all borough residents informing them of the flushing, Boyd said.
No one in the borough needs to boil their water, Wiker said.
(143) (56) (8) (7) (3)"Our town is in good shape when it comes to water," he said.
Many of the water lines in the borough are decades old, and there are concerns about the aging public works facility along Reservoir Road, too. Boyd said the borough authority has been meeting twice a month to discuss possible upgrades.
"We are currently looking at two options for improvements," she said.
"One is at our treatment plant and adding a second storage facility at our existing reservoir. That would cost an estimated $2.4 million.
"We also are looking into replacing the 110-year-old pipe, which could cost about $2 million."
The borough's original water system was constructed in 1896 and drew from a water source known as the "old springs," which are along the border between Strasburg and Paradise townships southeast of the borough.
In 1956, a water storage reservoir and a 12-inch transmission line were added to the system to meet growing demand. Line extensions have continued to this day and have required the borough to tap additional springs and wells to meet the demand for water.
Paul Miller, borough public works director, said the public works facility has two transmission lines that pump water into the facility and out to the borough.
"We have an 8-inch transmission line and a 12-inch transmission line," Miller said. "I thought we needed an upgrade to the 8-inch line about 10 years ago."
Boyd said once the borough decides on an upgrade project, it will put the projects up for bid, probably sometime in September or October.
"Once the upgrades actually begin, they will take about a year to complete."
The borough authority meets at 8 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month at the borough's municipal building at 145 Precision Ave.
For further information on the meetings or concerns about the water, contact the borough at 687-7732.
E-mail: jwalk@lnpnews.com
