Town of Hillsborough issued the following announcement on May 3.
The Town of Hillsborough’s water remains safe to drink and use despite discoloration this week.
The discoloration is caused by higher levels of the naturally occurring minerals iron and manganese, both of which also are contained in food.
The Water Treatment Plant has had issues this week with a pump that feeds sodium permanganate into raw water. The oxidant helps remove iron and manganese from water. With rain, minerals from the town’s water sources become stirred up and more iron and manganese can appear in water.
What’s being done and what to do
Hillsborough utilities crews have been releasing water from hydrants around town where discoloration issues have been reported. They are continuing to flush the water lines today, May 7.
Flushing also can cause discoloration or air bubbles to appear in water, customers can run cold water in a bathtub for a few minutes to clear the water.
Anyone still seeing discoloration should use the water from their faucets to flush their water lines. Until discoloration is no longer seen, avoid washing light-colored fabrics as the higher levels of iron and manganese may discolor the material.
Information on water system flushing is provided below. If you have concerns or need more information, contact the Water Treatment Plant at 919-732-3621.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Town of Hillsborough
