Pittsburg County officials trying to determine what's causing water discoloration

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- Water officials are trying to determine what is causing water in some Pittsburg County communities to be discolored.<br/><br/>The Pittsburg County Water Authority met Thursday

Friday, December 30th 2005, 6:06 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- Water officials are trying to determine what is causing water in some Pittsburg County communities to be discolored.

The Pittsburg County Water Authority met Thursday in an emergency meeting to discuss why water to customers in Haileyville, Hartshorne and Adamson is brown.

Gary Peoples of the Adamson Rural Water District says the water isn't drinkable and has damaged people's clothing.

All three districts buy their water from the same treatment plant, but plant manager Mark Day says he thinks a possible chemical reaction occurred in the district lines.

Test results show that the water in those lines had a lower than usual p-H balance, causing it to become corrosive.

Results also showed an increase in manganese, chloride and sulfate and high amounts of magnesium. Hartshorne water officials say many of the water lines in the three districts are metal, and some are 50 to 100 years old.

Officials say they believe the magnesium is reacting with the old metal lines of the districts to cause the discoloration.