ALERTS

Statement About Water Discoloration

July 14, 2025

Statement About Water Discoloration

The Martin County Water District and Alliance Water Resources are aware of the ongoing discoloration of water that customers are experiencing. We want to provide as much information as we can to you to ensure that your concerns are heard and that we are doing everything possible to resolve the issue. The discolored water is the result of calcium and manganese scaling in the distribution system. Calcium and manganese scaling refers to the buildup of scale deposits within the pipes of the distribution system.  Several factors that contribute to calcium and manganese scaling are listed below along with steps we are taking to address each item:

1. Presence in Water Source – calcium and manganese naturally occur in soil and rocks and can enter the water supply through precipitation.

Solution - The reservoir level is currently below the operating level that the district would prefer. Over the last several months the level has been dropping as we expected an electric pump to be installed as part of the new Raw Water Intake Project. This is a grant funded project administered by the Big Sandy Area Development District. Until this permanent improvement is completed, the current situation requires us to rent a portable diesel pump to keep it in operation. On July 2^nd the permanent pump had yet to be installed, so the Water District rented a diesel pump again to start pumping water back into the reservoir. This helps provide better source water for the plant to treat. The district is working hard to complete the placement of a permanent electric pump. The Raw Water Intake project should be completed soon. This will allow the district to have continuous pumping into the reservoir so we will not operate at low levels in the future.

2. Temperature – heat can accelerate the dissolvement of calcium and manganese scale on interior pipe surfaces, especially in hot water pipes. This releases the calcium and manganese into the water, which causes discoloration.

Solution - The current episode of discolored water complaints coincides with both the hotter outdoor temperatures and the warmer water in the reservoir that resulted when pumping from the river resumed.  The plan is to raise the reservoir to its maximum operating level, which will reduce the temperature of the water coming into the treatment facility.

3. Water Treatment Processes – While treatment methods aim to remove manganese, some residual manganese may remain in the water and accumulate in the filters and distribution over time.

Solution - The Water District is flushing the lines and trying to address every complaint.  In most instances, once we open a fire hydrant, the water clears within minutes. The district is also developing a county-wide flushing plan that in the past might not have been possible due to water shortage issues. The plan will consist of flushing the entire system twice annually and will help improve the overall water quality for everyone. We are also working with vendors to change the filter media in 4 of the 6 filters at the Water Treatment Plant. This action will help filter out calcium and manganese, thereby decreasing the amount of scaling within the distribution system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection agency regulates manganese in drinking water as a “secondary contaminant”, meaning such contaminants in water are “not health threatening”.  This can affect the color, taste, and smell of the water.

We are working diligently each day to ensure that everyone has the best water possible. The goal is to ensure everyone has reliable clean water.  Although the water we are seeing is not pleasant, every water sample that has been collected and analyzed, leaving the plant is within the State and Federal safe drinking standards. This includes turbidity that measures the cloudiness or clarity of how much light is scattered by the particles. We have pulled samples from the distribution piping and sent them to third party lab to be analyzed for manganese.  We will advise once the results are obtained.  We will continue to flush the system proactively, but please contact us if you are experiencing issues so we can generate the work orders and flush your lines.   

Thank you.

Todd Adams

Regional Operations Manager

Alliance Water Resources

Statement About Water Discoloration

July 14, 2025

Statement About Water Discoloration

The Martin County Water District and Alliance Water Resources are aware of the ongoing discoloration of water that customers are experiencing. We want to provide as much information as we can to you to ensure that your concerns are heard and that we are doing everything possible to resolve the issue. The discolored water is the result of calcium and manganese scaling in the distribution system. Calcium and manganese scaling refers to the buildup of scale deposits within the pipes of the distribution system.  Several factors that contribute to calcium and manganese scaling are listed below along with steps we are taking to address each item:

1. Presence in Water Source – calcium and manganese naturally occur in soil and rocks and can enter the water supply through precipitation.

Solution - The reservoir level is currently below the operating level that the district would prefer. Over the last several months the level has been dropping as we expected an electric pump to be installed as part of the new Raw Water Intake Project. This is a grant funded project administered by the Big Sandy Area Development District. Until this permanent improvement is completed, the current situation requires us to rent a portable diesel pump to keep it in operation. On July 2^nd the permanent pump had yet to be installed, so the Water District rented a diesel pump again to start pumping water back into the reservoir. This helps provide better source water for the plant to treat. The district is working hard to complete the placement of a permanent electric pump. The Raw Water Intake project should be completed soon. This will allow the district to have continuous pumping into the reservoir so we will not operate at low levels in the future.

2. Temperature – heat can accelerate the dissolvement of calcium and manganese scale on interior pipe surfaces, especially in hot water pipes. This releases the calcium and manganese into the water, which causes discoloration.

Solution - The current episode of discolored water complaints coincides with both the hotter outdoor temperatures and the warmer water in the reservoir that resulted when pumping from the river resumed.  The plan is to raise the reservoir to its maximum operating level, which will reduce the temperature of the water coming into the treatment facility.

3. Water Treatment Processes – While treatment methods aim to remove manganese, some residual manganese may remain in the water and accumulate in the filters and distribution over time.

Solution - The Water District is flushing the lines and trying to address every complaint.  In most instances, once we open a fire hydrant, the water clears within minutes. The district is also developing a county-wide flushing plan that in the past might not have been possible due to water shortage issues. The plan will consist of flushing the entire system twice annually and will help improve the overall water quality for everyone. We are also working with vendors to change the filter media in 4 of the 6 filters at the Water Treatment Plant. This action will help filter out calcium and manganese, thereby decreasing the amount of scaling within the distribution system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection agency regulates manganese in drinking water as a “secondary contaminant”, meaning such contaminants in water are “not health threatening”.  This can affect the color, taste, and smell of the water.

We are working diligently each day to ensure that everyone has the best water possible. The goal is to ensure everyone has reliable clean water.  Although the water we are seeing is not pleasant, every water sample that has been collected and analyzed, leaving the plant is within the State and Federal safe drinking standards. This includes turbidity that measures the cloudiness or clarity of how much light is scattered by the particles. We have pulled samples from the distribution piping and sent them to third party lab to be analyzed for manganese.  We will advise once the results are obtained.  We will continue to flush the system proactively, but please contact us if you are experiencing issues so we can generate the work orders and flush your lines.   

Thank you.

Todd Adams

Regional Operations Manager

Alliance Water Resources

Meter Replacement Project

January 13, 2025

Martin County Utility Board
387 E Main ST, Suite 140
Inez, KY 41224

Phone 606-298-3885 Fax 606-298-4913

Press Release – January 13, 2025

Martin County Water District is excited to announce that we will begin our water meter replacement project on January 27, 2025. The 2-million-dollar grant was funded by the Kentucky General Assembly. This money was specifically earmarked for Martin County Water District for replacement of water meters. The project is estimated to last 4 months, and customers will see staff working in or around their meter boxes. The new meters will allow the district to better understand the water usage in the distribution system. The meters will also have the capability to profile water usage for all customers and identify potential leaks, including leaks on the customer’s side. The project will also include technology to allow drive-by meter reading, allowing more efficient time management of staff resources. It will also eliminate human error and ensure that customers are correctly billed for their usage.

Most of the meters in our system have exceeded the standard 10-year life cycle of a water meter. When the new meters are installed, they will capture more accurate readings which may yield a higher bill for some customers. Customers that are receiving minimum bills because the meter does not work at all (this is reflected on their bills) will start receiving bills based on their actual consumption.

If you have any questions regarding the new meters, please reach out to our billing office at 606-298-3885. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to improve the Martin County Water System.

Sincerely,

Martin County Water District

Lead and Copper Inventory Letters

October 21, 2024

Lead and Copper Inventory Letters

Some customers will receive letters in the mail over the next couple of weeks that indicate the Water District was unable to determine the material of your service line. This was done as part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA’s) Lead and Copper Inventory Rule Revision that every water system in the Country must do. The deadline to complete an initial lead and copper inventory was due to the State by October 16^th. The district took several measures to try and determine the material both on the District side of the meter, and the customer side as well. The second part of the rule required the district to send out letters to every customer with unknown material making them aware that their material was unknown. This does not mean that you have lead or copper service lines; just that the material currently is unknown. The district has been conducting lead and copper testing for many years, well before the implementation of the EPA’s new rule. The system has consistently remained in compliance with all state and federal water quality standards including lead and copper.

We will continue to work to identify the material. The letter provides a couple of ways in which you can help identify the material that is on your side of the meter. No other action is needed by you currently. We thank you for understanding as we work to get this completed. If you have any questions, please contact our office.

Thank You

Todd Adams

Division Manager

Martin County Water District

Lead and Copper Survey

February 19, 2024

Attention Customers:

Martin County Water District is doing a survey for Lead and Copper in our system (required by the US EPA)

You may submit the information via:  

the website mcub.org,

by calling the billing office at 606-298-3885,

or in person at

387 E Main St Suite 140

Inez, KY 41224.

(If you have already given this information, please disregard this notice)

For more information about this survey, please visit www.krwa.org and search keywords lead and copper.

We appreciate your cooperation!