The Town of Columbus recently received final certification from the project engineer for the Woods Well polyphosphate installation.

Some town water customers living in close proximity to the Woods Well have experienced discoloration issues with their water. After investigating several possible solutions, the town determined the best viable alternative was to add a chemical polyphosphate to the Woods well to sequester excessive iron and manganese particles from the water.

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) permits this process and the engineer for the project must issue a final certification before the polyphosphate is added to the well. The permit was obtained in April 2012 and the engineer certified the construction in the end of October 2012. This chemical addition should not alter the taste, odor, or color of the water from this well. Phosphates are used by approximately 15-20 percent of public and private water systems, and many groundwater systems use them to sequester iron and manganese.

The Town will monitor this well and perform extensive testing as the polyphosphate is added into the water system. Residents living closest to this specific well received letters within the past week providing an update on this issue. The Town will continue to respond to any continuing or new issues occurring within the water system. If any Town water customers have questions, they are urged to contact the Columbus Public Works department at 828-894-8236.

– article submitted by Jonathan Kanipe