Rusty Water Infuriates Rockville Centre Residents

Rockville Centre residents are up in arms about rusty water.

After the village temporarily shuttered a tank for rehabilitation, brown water, caused by higher iron concentrations, began flowing from taps around town.

Residents have complained that they are still worried about the safety of the water, have ruined clothing and fabrics while doing their laundry, and wish they had been notified ahead of time.

“It’s all rusty. It stains the grout in my bathtub. It stains the ceramics,” said resident Sandra Wild, according to WCBS. “If I do white laundry, I have rust stains all over the laundry, and you can’t get it out. You have to get really caustic cleaners to get the stain out of the grout. I have to wear a gas mask and open my windows.”

The rusty water began flowing during a rehabilitation of Tank No. 1 near South Side High School, Village of Rockville Centre officials said. The tank was taken out of service for the fix and those residents whose water normally came from that tank were instead drawing from Maple Avenue wells, they said.

The Maple Avenue wells “have a higher concentration of iron than the other wells” and “the flow of water in the water main system in some cases has been reversed causing particles that have built up in the water mains over the years to break loose, adding to the discoloring,” they said.

RVC officials insist the water is safe to use and the quality will be “much improved” by Sept. 1.

“Due to daily testing that conforms with the standards established by the Department of Health, we know that the water is safe to drink, cook with and bathe in,” the village announced. Read the full statement on their Facebook page:

Rockville Centre residents: Do you have rusty water? Vote in this poll and tell us more in the comments. If you have a photo of the rusty water or ruined laundry as a result of it, post it in the comments below.

Image: Similar looking brown water that plagued Malverne. Credit: Patch file