Residents of St Helena have been given a fresh outline of how the city could tackle recurring brown and foul-smelling tap water, five years after complaints about the problem first emerged.
The Department of Public Works presented a report to the City Council on Tuesday detailing possible remedies, estimated costs and potential funding sources for improvements to the water system.
The city’s latest approach includes further analysis of customer complaints, inspections of selected mains, water-quality testing, more systematic cleaning of the distribution network and continued monitoring of the results.
Officials have said the discolouration is linked to a combination of ageing infrastructure and naturally occurring minerals, including iron and manganese, in supplies from Bell Canyon Reservoir and the Stonebridge wells. Mineral deposits can accumulate in pipes and become disturbed by changes in water pressure or treatment operations.
St Helena has previously declared an emergency over the persistent water discolouration. City officials have also acknowledged years of under-investment, while warning that major upgrades will require significant long-term spending.
The city has a five-year capital improvement programme worth more than $57 million, including projects involving treatment facilities, reservoirs, pipelines and other water infrastructure. However, the latest report was intended to examine more targeted options for reducing the brown water reaching customers’ taps.
The council was also due to consider a proposed $500,000 one-off water bill credit fund. If established, it could provide eligible active customer accounts with credits of about $200, while a separate ongoing scheme could offer relief following future reported incidents.
City officials have stressed that water quality and water supply are separate issues. While the council considers how to address the appearance and smell of the water, the city says its overall supply remains sufficient, with reservoir storage, a City of Napa allocation and the Stonebridge wells forming part of its wider water portfolio.
