Photo courtesy of Nancy Wilson
When Lakewood neighbor Nancy Wilson drew a bath Wednesday night, she was horrified to see the tub fill with yellowish liquid. “GROSS. Don’t drink the water,” she wrote on Facebook.
Neighbors on Wilson’s Avalon block complained of discolored water for the last two weeks. Though Dallas Water Utilities responded quickly when she reported the problem, the discolored water remained. So did the sediment in the bottom of her tub.
Wilson replaced her water heater last week for $3,000, hoping that would resolve the issue. But the new heater had no impact on the color of the water.
She says Next Door lists many complaints from neighbors in Lakewood and Hollywood Heights about brown or yellow water. When Wilson talked to a manager at Dallas Water Utilities, he told her the discoloration was caused by old cast-iron pipes that haven’t been replaced in much of East Dallas.
While Wilson’s home experienced some water discoloration over the years, this is the worst it’s been, she says. The city drained the pipes and used chlorine to treat bacteria. Wilson says she doesn’t know which is worse, the discolored water or the chlorine scent. “It smelled like a swimming pool,” she says.
Dallas Water Utilities were working on Wilson’s block Thursday and she reports that the water isn’t as yellow when she last checked it.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Wilson
