Officials say brown water is nasty, but poses no health risk

Longtime Vandebilt coach passes away
January 27, 2016
Water Director drinks brown water to show it’s safe
January 28, 2016
Longtime Vandebilt coach passes away
January 27, 2016
Water Director drinks brown water to show it’s safe
January 28, 2016

The appearance of brown water coming out of pipes in Terrebonne Parish, while disconcerting, represents no safety risk and boiling is not required, water officials said Thursday morning.

In fact, boiling the water won’t remove the discoloration, said Mike Sorbert, director of the Terrebonne Parish waterworks.

“It looks like hell,” Sorbert said. “But the water is absolutely safe to drink.”


(To see Sorbert drink a bottle of the brown water, click here).

Parish Councilman Darrin Guidry is among public officials whose phone rang off the hook Wednesday night and Thursday morning, primarily with safety questions and also questions of whether something may have been wrong with the plumbing in their house or the system as a whole.

He said he has directed them to the waterworks website, tpcw.org, and provided what information he could based on briefings from Sorbert. Guidry has sent the following message to his constituents:


“I spoke with the director of the Consolidated Waterworks and he once again assures me the water is safe. The district had installed new lines around Hwy 90 and flushing these lines used so much water that the velocity was increased to maintain pressure to the Schriever area while this was going on,” Guidry said. “It slurred up the lines and the brown water is slowly made its way throughout the parish. He said it should clear up today.”

Parts of Terrebonne that have not initially been affected could see brown water later today, Sorbert told The Times. But the condition should be eased or eliminated within 24 hours. The farther a given home is from the Schriver water plant, the longer the discolored water will take to get there.

“If you live at a dead end and haven’t been using your water a lot then you will likely see brown water at some point, as it has had a chance to move through the pipes,” Sorbert said.


The condition exists because of work being done to bring miles of new water pipes online. The existing pipes, some of them 100 years old, are still being used as the water is being extended to flow into the new ones, which are not yet supplying water to the system but will eventually.

Letting water into those pipes, Sorbert said, has resulted in a drop of pressure. Fail-safe mechanisms that keep water pressure up to the required level for health, safety and efficiency kicked in, raising the pressure at which water is delivered, to equalize pressure in the system overall.

As a result of the opening of valves letting water into the new system, sediment that has built up for years within pipes fully loaded with treated, sanitary water – meaning the sediment is also sanitized and clean and has been – is now moving instead of staying still on pipe walls. The system, Sorbert said, is a totally closed system and so there is no risk.


Faster-moving water is causing turbulence, hence the discoloration.

“It is getting better in some areas as we speak,” Sorbert said Thursday morning.

In response to questions from readers, The Times sought answers from Sorbert.


The questions from readers and answers drawn from the interview with Sorbert as as follows.

Q: Why wasn’t a boil water advisory issued?

A: A boil water advisory is issued when a health risk exists. Because the water is absolutely clean and healthy, there was no need for a boil advisory.


Q: Should I boil my water anyway?

A: If it makes you more comfortable feel free to boil your water. But boiling will not change the color very much if at all.

Q: What about my icemaker, hot water heater and other appliances?


A: If the sediment was in the water for a long period of time, then it could. But this sediment will not be in the water for anything near the amount of time that could pose a problem. Nonetheless, it might be a good idea to clean out filters, heaters, etc. once the brown water is gone. Standard flushing will do the job. The water district is putting together instructions for doing this, both video and text, that will be released when they are complete.

Q: Cleaning out my hot water heater and other appliances will cost money. Will the water district reimburse me?

A: The cost for cleaning out appliances is not likely to raise anyone’s water bill to any detectable level. But if it does, contact the water district so that the matter can be discussed, as with any other water bill issue.


Q: Can’t you open fire hydrants to make the water move quicker and get it back to its clear color?

A: In some cases hydrants have been opened but that is being done sparingly. Open hydrants mean more potential for air and therefore contaminants to enter the system, although that is not currently likely. The safer course of action is not to do mass openings of hydrants.

Q: What is the sediment made of?


A: As the water is purified at the plant, tiny particles of sediment — which is also purified — gets into the system. Over years it builds up but is not generally disturbed. It can be sand, grime, microscopic plant particles, just about anything. But whatever its composition, if it got into the water system to begin with it is already clean and not a health risk.

Q: When will we see waterworks employees flushing pipes in our subdivision?

As with the hydrants, flushing of system pipes outdoors adds risk and is also not efficient. So you’re not likely to see that happen.


Q: Has the water been tested to determine what contaminants are in it?

A: The sediment is not a contaminant, ugly as it may be. It was there before but you just couldn’t see it. Pathogens that can affect health are usually invisible. The water is tested as it leaves the plant, and end-use tests for early-warning systems are being done as usual. There is no health risk associated with the water.

Q: I haven’t seen brown water yet. Will I eventually?


A: Most likely yes. It just hasn’t gotten to you yet. When it does, it should not last long.

Q: If I run my faucets will the water in my house get back to normal.

A: Yes it may happen faster, but that could take a while. Since the water is safe, this is a step that is not necessary. But certainly if you wish to do so, feel free.


Sorbert said water district employees will be happy to answer questions, although he acknowledges telephone lines have been very tied up as people call in. E-mails are welcome. The Times will continue checking with the water district and if the situation changes will provide information on houmatimes.com

Brown water