Water Discoloration Reported In McAlester

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- Residents in Krebs and McAlester have been reporting their tap water is discolored and smells of chlorophyll, but city officials say it is safe to drink.<br/>A number of people

Tuesday, July 31st 2007, 5:40 pm

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- Residents in Krebs and McAlester have been reporting their tap water is discolored and smells of chlorophyll, but city officials say it is safe to drink.
A number of people have reported that the water is a gold or brownish color.

"It smells like grass," said Shirley Brown. "Like when you first cut grass it smells like that.â€

â€œIf someone wants gold, they can come to our house and I'll sell them my tap water," said Sue Freeman. "That's what it looks like coming out, a kind of gold color."

Krebs Mayor Benny Snell said a carbon filter at the city's water treatment plant has worn out, causing some of the water problems.

â€œThere's nothing wrong with the water, it just looks nasty," he said.

McAlester City Engineer George Marcangeli said the city has been having trouble with excess manganese in the water, which is causing discoloration.

"It's not at the plant," he said. "Something is causing it to break free out in the system."

Excess manganese can cause the water to turn a dusky color, but does not generally pose a health risk, officials said.

"We're putting in extra chlorine to help oxidize the manganese," Marcangeli said. "The water's safe to drink, but it does look kind of bad."