Williston Park resident says tap water is repeatedly dirty from fire department drills

Rebecca Klar
Mary Ann Fearon's tap water from her house in Williston Park, which she said repeatedly runs brown following fire department drills. (Photo courtesy of Mary Ann Fearon)

Mary Ann Fearon said her tap water runs brown after drills and flushes from the Williston Park Fire Department.

“This is my tap water, and I don’t live in Flint, Michigan,” Fearon said at last Wednesday’s village board meeting, holding a jar of brown water.

The brown water isn’t Fearon’s daily water, she said. It was her March 27 at 5 p.m. water.

She also has March 31 brown tap water, she said.

This happens a couple of times a month, with no prior notice from the department, Fearon said.

“I’m told this is healthy and perfectly safe to drink,” said Fearon, who lives on Yale Street. “So if anybody on the board wants to sip it, it’s perfectly healthy.”

Fearon said she would not make her coffee, pasta or ice cubes with this water.

The March 31 incident interfered with Fearon’s plans preparing for Easter Sunday, she said.

Fearon, a village resident for 58 years, said she respects and admires the Fire Department but said there needs to be an organized schedule for drills and notice to the residents.

“If you’re going to have a drill you have to put out a schedule and say ‘guess what, next Tuesday at 4 o’clock your water is going to look like iced tea so don’t plan a party,’” Fearon said.

Ehrbar said he has spoken with the incoming fire chief about the issue and the department is trying to set up an email notification system to let residents know about drills and flushes.

Ehrbar added that the trainings are necessary and will not stop.

Fearon said residents are given no notice of when the drills will take place that will impact the water.
(Photo courtesy of Mary Ann Fearon)

He added that “we’ll try and alleviate the problem as best as we can.”

Fearon said she understands the “invaluable service” the Fire Department provides to the village, and all she asks for is “a little notice.”

Fearon also said she and other residents are told to run their faucets and flush their toilets 100 times to clear the water.

“I pay my water bill,” Fearon said. “Why should I have to run my water … this is unacceptable.”

Fearon said she went to the village last year with the same problem and was told the village was trying to rework the pipes during the drills so it wouldn’t interfere with residents’ water.

She said the issue “seemed to let up for a little while.”

Superintendent of Pubic Works Kieth Bunnell said there are three combinations of choices the village has to rework the piping.

He said he has tried the first two and will try the third soon.

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