‘It’s disgusting.’ Crawford residents frustrated by years of brown water, low pressure
Residents say a recent boil water advisory renewed concerns about longstanding water quality and pressure problems in the Pine Bush Water District.
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A boil water advisory may be over in the Town of Crawford, but for some residents, concerns about their water remain.
Residents shared photos and videos with News 12 showing dark, murky water coming from their faucets. They say problems with water quality and pressure have persisted for years.
“It’s disgusting. Very disgusting and sad,” said Crawford resident Oscar Alvarez.
Alvarez says he and his family have been dealing with water issues since moving to Crawford about five years ago.
“Ever since we’ve been here, we’ve had water issues,” he said. “There’s many times that we can’t even bathe the kids because we don’t want the kids to get sick.”
Neighbor William Farrell says he’s experienced similar problems during the six years he’s lived in town.
“Our water has been a problem since moving in,” Farrell said. “The town came and flushed the lines to try to clear it out, but our water pressure has been pretty inconsistent the whole time we’ve lived here.”
Farrell says the pressure can drop so low that family members sometimes have to wait to finish showering.
“You can have shampoo in your hair and you have to wait for the water pressure to come back on,” he said.
Farrell and his wife have three children under the age of 8. He says the water has become such a concern that his children sometimes go elsewhere to bathe.
“My kids complain a lot about the water,” Farrell said. “Sometimes they go to grandma’s house to shower and bathe because grandma has better water.”
The latest concerns came after a water main break last week triggered a boil water advisory for customers in the Town of Crawford’s Pine Bush Water District.
The advisory remained in effect for several days. In a May 28 update, town officials said one of 16 water samples failed testing standards, requiring the advisory to remain in place while additional testing and treatment were completed.
The town later distributed bottled water to residents before announcing over the weekend that the advisory had been lifted and the water was approved for consumption and use.
Still, some residents say the advisory only highlighted problems they believe have existed for years.
“It’s been brown, black. It was black for a couple days,” Alvarez said.
News 12 also reviewed the Pine Bush Water District’s annual water quality report, which was mailed to residents and shared with the newsroom by homeowners. It shows iron and manganese violations, naturally occurring minerals that can contribute to discoloration, staining and sediment in water.
According to the report, manganese levels reached as high as 0.606 milligrams per liter and iron levels reached as high as 0.561 milligrams per liter — roughly double the report’s listed limit of 0.3 milligrams per liter for each.
Town Supervisor Mike Menendez tells News 12 the discoloration and pressure issues are tied to an aging water system, with some water mains and water towers dating back to the 1930s.
Menendez says the district has elevated levels of manganese and, more recently, iron, but says the water meets safety standards and remains safe to use. He described the issue as a nuisance rather than a health concern.
Menendez says the town works with a third-party company, H2O Innovation, to operate and maintain the system and is continually looking for ways to improve service. He also says residents experiencing problems can receive free water filtration systems through the town.
As for a larger fix, Menendez says there is currently no plan for a major systemwide overhaul. He says replacing aging infrastructure throughout the district would cost millions of dollars and those costs would ultimately be passed on to taxpayers.
That doesn’t sit well with residents like Alvarez.
“We’ve come to realize that the smallest things we take for granted, and unfortunately, water is one of them,” he said.
News 12 has also reached out to county and state health officials for additional information regarding the recent boil water advisory and the concerns raised by residents.
