While brown water pouring out of taps alarmed some residents on May 26, Wareham Water Department Superintendent Andrew Reid gave assurance there was no health risk.

Caused by recent hydrant flushing, the brown water is a result of a chemical reaction between iron manganese, a sediment that has always been in Wareham’s water, and chlorine.

Hydrant flushing, which occurs from May through July every year, is a three-month process that aims to rid the pipes of iron manganese. During this time, thousands of residents are left with brown-looking water and urged to find other solutions. For a list of what residents should do if their water is brown, click here.

Since 2007, the state requires chlorine to be added into water to keep pipes clean. The chlorine agitates the iron manganese in the water, causing it to clump together and eventually sit at the bottom of the water.

“At no time is the water not safe. It’s just aesthetics,” said Reid.

Following the flushing, one resident has spoken out against the Water Department's perceived negligence in notifying residents of unusable drinking water.

Reid said the complaint highlights a problem his department is attempting to remedy through better outreach.

Kendra Bond, owner of Peace for Ponies, a local organization dedicated to rescuing ponies from auction houses, was surprised when she first saw brown water coming out of her tap. Bond was even more shocked at how long it took the Water Department to respond to her plea for help in providing clean water for her animals.

Her primary concern was for one pregnant donkey that she houses. From the beginning of the day on May 26 until the afternoon of May 27, Bond was without clean-looking water. She ultimately borrowed gallons of water from a friend.

Her phone call to the Water Department was returned five hours later. Though she deemed the situation an emergency and would not give her animals the brown water, Reid said that “at no point was the water deemed a health risk or unsafe.”

Bond said her water is finally cleared up, but hopes to take actions that will ensure more notice for residents, especially owners of large animals, in the future.

Despite a reverse-911 call system the department uses to contact residents on their cell phones and the numerous announcements Reid said he posted in the newspapers, he recognizes a problem in the department’s outreach.

A recently secured $55,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant for social outreach will be used to find the most effective ways of communicating with residents and sending alerts, hopefully addressing the issue that both Reid and Bond see.

The Water Department also has a long-term solution for the iron manganese in the water – a multi-million dollar water purification plant at Maple Springs Wellfield. The project is currently in its design phase and applications for state grants will be sent this summer.

According to the department, the project will “provide state-of-the-art treatment for its wells and include energy efficient features.” Construction is set to begin in 2018.