Results from the final independent water quality testing are now in, confirming that tap water at both the Center for Athletic Medicine and Henry Ford Hospital is negative for contaminates.
Employees and patients have been told the water is safe, but after discolored water flowing from the taps prompted use of only bottled water and anti-bacterial gel for days, 7 Action News wanted some answers.
Detroit Water and Sewerage spokesperson Bryan Peckinpaugh says after learning about the discolored water, crews flushed the main water lines. They then took four water samples from four different areas of the hospital, one from a public restroom.
The samples were tested and no contamination was found. Then the hospital paid for independent testing to confirm the initial findings. Those results were also negative for contaminates, according to a spokesperson.
So what happened? What changed the color of the water? Could it happen again?
Just around the corner from Henry Ford Hospital, the M1 Rail project is under way. Woodward Ave's future streetcar will one day travel a 3.3 mile circuit through Detroit, passing over a Water Main on its route.
To ensure the future safety of Detroit's water supply, the city's water and sewerage department wanted two additional shut-off valves added to the water main as a precaution.
“If later on we need to shut off a portion, we can do so,” says Peckinpaugh.
He goes on to explain that when those valves were installed Wednesday, the crew opened one or both too quickly causing strong pressure that stirred up sediment from the bottom of the water main and pushed it to buildings in the New Center Area, creating discoloration.
One man described the resulting tap water at Henry Ford Hospital as the color of urine.
So what exactly is sediment? Is it safe?
“Sediment is actually in all of our water mains,” Peckinpaugh goes on to explain, “It’s not contamination, it's not lead, it's just particles in the bottom of the water main.”
Particles of what?
“Mainly dirt that seeps through the water process,” says Peckinpaugh.
He says the service lines to the hospital have all been flushed and the water is safe.
But could it happen again? The answer is, maybe. There are many constructions projects under way in Detroit.
“We have some of our engineers meet with contractors to make sure it doesn't occur, but if we do know it's going to occur, we will inform residents and commercial customers,” says Peckinpaugh.
The Water and Sewerage Department can now send out notifications through the cities alert system.
To sign up, go to: http://www.detroitmi.gov/.
