[Archived] Temporary Water Discoloration Reported In Areas Of City

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	July 5, 2006 PIO# 171-06/jbh	Brian Hannigan, Director of Communications or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

TEMPORARY WATER DISCOLORATION REPORTED IN AREAS OF CITY
Water Discolored By High Manganese Levels Is Safe To Drink

Virginia American Water and Fairfax Water have announced that high manganese levels brought about by excessive rainfall have resulted in yellowish or brownish discoloration of the water supply in some service areas. Following is the text of the advisory issued by Virginia American Water:

“Virginia American Water customers located in the City of Alexandria may experience discolored water from high levels of manganese, which are a result of the region's excessive rainfall. The water is safe to consume and the expected resolution of this condition is expected within the next two to three days.

“Manganese is a naturally occurring element and is not harmful to your health at the levels detected in water. These elevated levels of Manganese may cause the water to become somewhat yellow, or brown, in color. The water is being treated to lower the Manganese levels, resulting in reduction of discoloration. The completion of this treatment process will take several days. In the meantime, the water may still appear discolored as the water passes through the distribution system.”

For more information, please call Virginia American Water’s customer service center at 800-452-6863 or visit their website at www.vawc.com.

The City of Alexandria’s water supply is provided by Virginia American Water, a private water utility company. Virginia American Water purchases its Alexandria water from the Fairfax County Water Authority, which serves more than 1.3 million people in Northern Virginia.

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