BOWIE, Md. — A long history of complaints about brown water flowing from taps in Bowie, Md. is getting some new attention, after a new public works director took over in September.
One of Jose Aldayuz's first big assignments will be to bring the Bowie City Council up to speed on how bad the problem is, and what it will take to fix it. A report is due in January, Aldayuz said.
Pat Clunies, who lives in the Meadowbrook section of the city said she has been plagued by intermittent periods of dirty tap water for decades.
"It's periodic," Clunies said as she poured a slightly cloudy glass of water at her kitchen sink. "It'll be fine like this. Then, I'll go in to take a shower and I get brown water. It's frustrating because we don't know when it's going to happen or why. We're assuming it's the old pipes."
Aldayuz says the city's 90-mile, cast-iron water pipe system serving nearly 8,000 households is nearly 60 years old in some areas, and is badly impacted by rust on the insides. In some cases, the build-up is so heavy the pipes cannot carry water in the volumes they should.
As a result, the city reports a program of flushing the pipes has been stepped up, resulting in more and more complaints.
“The city of Bowie has 90 miles of cast iron pipe infrastructure that was created in the 60s. That's the overall problem," Aldayuz said.
State and federal reports show that the city’s water exceeds federal safety standards for contaminants like lead.
Tap water from residents' homes has also been tested in recent months and has proven safe for human consumption, Aldayuz said.
"Any resident that wants me to try, I'll go and drink it," he said.
But the discoloration problem stains clothes and can carry odors, according to Clunies.
Aladyuz said it must be fixed, and he estimated the cost at $1.2 to $1.5 million per mile.
The first priority recommended to the City Council will be the rehabilitation or replacement of at least 7 miles of rusty, 60-year-old pipes at an estimated cost of $14 million, according to Aldayuz. In the meantime, the city has been handing out free chemical treatments to help residents get rust stains out of their laundry and offers a $50 rebate toward home filtration systems.
Aldayz is hopeful that the Biden infrastructure bill might help the City of Bowie pay for the final fix, which he warns will take time to plan and construct.