Well shutdown led to discolored water for Cairo residents

CAIRO, Ga. — The reason behind Cairo’s recent water discoloration problem appears to be related to a mistakenly cut cable.

Stacy Watkins of Tifton-based engineering firm Watkins and Associates said the issue stems from the unexpected shutdown of one of the city’s two wells when a fiber optic cable was mistakenly severed during labor near Cairo-Grady County Airport.

Watkins described the incident Monday evening to the Cairo City Council.

“As part of the work going on at the airport, one of the fiber optic cables that controls Well No. 11, which is on Edna Drive, that cable was cut and Well No. 11 was out of service,” Watkins said. “So the city was operating mainly off of Well No. 10 and had been for a couple of months.”

The shutdown meant that not enough chlorine was injected into the water to combat hydrogen sulfide.

The elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide caused the iron oxide media used to remove arsenic to oxidize, creating the unappealing yellowish tinge that has disconcerted residents for nearly two months.

“Between us adding chlorine and the aeration, it’s just like if you took a piece of steel iron and added chlorine to it and it starts to rust,” said Public Works Director Darin Todd. “That’s where that color comes from.”

Todd said the city knew Well No. 11 had been out of service, but was unaware it was the cause behind the discoloration of the water.

“We knew No. 11 wasn’t working,” Todd said. “What we didn’t realize at the time was that the hydrogen sulfide (levels) in No. 10 were as high as they were.”

Watkins, along with representatives of De Nora Water Technologies, extensively tested the city’s water treatment plant and the raw water from the wells it draws from to determine the cause of the discoloration.

Watkins said the discoloration issue should be resolved for most Cairo residents.

“The water as it’s leaving the plant is as good as what it was whenever we started the plant,” Watkins said. 

Todd said any residents still experiencing discolored water should contact public works at 377-6028, extension 137.

“If anybody has any complaints or whatever, let us know and we’ll flush that area,” Todd said.