NEWPORT BEACH : Residents See Red as Water Gets Rusty
City workers doing routine maintenance on fire hydrants on Balboa Peninsula earlier this week flushed out an old water pipe, inadvertently sending rust-tainted water into the plumbing of some homes.
Pete Antista, public utilities superintendent, said he became aware of the problem workers were creating Tuesday afternoon when a handful of residents called to complain of orange and red water emanating from their taps.
“It is not pleasing at all,” Antista said.
The rust-colored water appeared after workers increased the pressure in the pipe to flush the peninsula’s fire hydrants. The rust in the 16-inch cast-iron pipe system, which was built in the 1920s to service the peninsula, flaked off under the pressure and ended up in residential plumbing.
“We are aware of this problem,” Antista said. “We have rusty-water problems in those areas. . . . We are in the process of relining the pipe and should be done in the latter part of 1994.”
Antista said residents can drink rust-tainted water without a health risk, but the drinking water in the affected area has probably returned to a normal taste and color already, he said.
“We flushed out the hydrants again that night to let out all the rusty water,” he said. “So it should be cleared up by now.”
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