8/27/18 Update: Brown Water?

Original Post:

The Black Mountain Fire Department is conducting annual testing of Montreat’s fire hydrants. The “scouring” requires the department to open two hydrants simultaneously, causing the water flow to dramatically increase. A byproduct is that normally settled iron in the system is stirred up causing brown water at the taps. Though unsightly, the water is safe. The Montreat Water Department is working with the Fire Department in this process, but is not able to flush the lines until the hydrant testing is complete.

We apologize for this inconvenience. Please know that we are working to find a resolution to this issue as quickly as possible, reorganizing the schedule to breakup the testing and subsequent flushing into smaller areas and time frames.

 

Update – 8/15/18 9:32AM:

The Montreat Water Department has worked with the Fire Department to divide the testing process by sections of town. Central and East Montreat (Harmony/ Louisiana to the Intersection of Virginia and Greybeard to Lookout and Yale and areas in between) will be tested today. The Water Department will flush the lines after the hydrant testing is complete.

If you experience iron at your tap you can run water in your bathtub for approximately 20 minutes to flush your lines. The Montreat Water Department will flush this portion of the system this afternoon.

 

Update – 8/27/18 10:00AM:

The Fire Department is again testing hydrants today. Affected areas will include properties on Westminster, John Knox, Mississippi, and the main campus of Montreat College. A Code Red message has gone out to those areas.

The Fire Department will test in the morning. The Water Department will flush early this afternoon. If you experience brown water you may run a large tap, such as a bathtub for approximately 20 minutes. This may help to clear the iron from your line.

Again, we apologize for this inconvenience.

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