Weekend of Water Discoloration Vexes Glens Falls Residents

Glens Falls Water and Sewer Department received reports on Saturday September 16th, 2023, that tap water in homes was discolored… This issue was not related to the water main break found in downtown Glens Falls on Friday. The Glens Falls Water and Sewer Department stated via press release that the discoloration presents no threat to public health, and the water remains potable and safe to drink. 

Local resident Mike Metzger posted on Facebook about the rust-colored water and his disappointment with the communication from the City of Glens Falls regarding the issue: “Water in Glens Falls was rust-colored brown today, many still reported brown water. Yet, no official word from city government or local media other than what seems to be an unrelated story about a water main break,” his post read. 

Other Glens Falls residents posted on Nextdoor, an app that connects people in local neighborhoods. Crystal Howell posed the question “Anyone else in GF have brown water?” This post had eight replies, including one from Cathy Corrigan stating: “My water is dark brown and I ran all of my faucets for almost 2 hours!! The city is no help! Called Water Dept emergency number and I got an answering service!! All my water is dark brown.”

The Glens Falls Water and Sewer Department stated via press release that the issue was created by spikes in the freshwater distribution system, resulting in release of particles for the interior of the drinking water pipes. While there is no threat to human health, the mineral particles discolor the water. 

Residents who see discoloration in their water should run multiple faucets for approximately 10 minutes, or until the discoloration clears. Residents who continue to have problems with water discoloration should call the Water & Sewer Hotline at (518) 761-3857.