Willow Valley Water Company

Willow Valley Water Company (WVWC) has successfully commissioned the new iron and manganese removal system at the Unit 17 Water Distribution Center (WDC). This WDC provides service to all residents except customers that live in the Lake Cimmaron Development. Lake Cimmaron is supplied by a separate WDC which is currently being improved under a separate project. As discussed in the Public Meeting on Aug 29, 2007, in the first stage of aesthetic improvements it is imperative to remove these minerals at the source well when the water is pumped out of the ground. Testing of the new removal system has confirmed greater than 95% removal of these inorganic contaminants.  

This newly treated water will continue to be distributed through existing pipelines that have significant scale accumulation.  It can be expected that this scale will continue to cause discoloration and some debris as the scale loosens in the presence of the treated water.  WVWC will continue to flush pipelines to address this. Although it is hard to predict how long this condition will last, the distribution system will begin to clear up and you will see an improvement.  

While the scale and color are not health issues, we remain committed to improving the aesthetic qualities of the water.  Please refer to the WVWC Consumer Confidence Report, monthly informational mailers, and our website for more information about the cause and safety of \"tea\" colored water.

Global Water has begun the engineering activities required to improve the distribution network; this project is in planning and will take a significant team effort between WVWC and our customers. Further updates will continue in the standard monthly mailer and Global Water plans to hold a second Public Meeting in the near future. As soon as we have selected a date, we will distribute an invitation.

We appreciate your continued patience and cooperation as we continue to improve our Willow Valley Water Company.

Respectfully,

Ron Fleming
General Manager
Global Water - West Valley Region


Water Quality
    
All Global Water utilities produce and distribute water that meets all federal and state water quality criteria.  Our waters are monitored for all regulated contaminants in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).  In Mohave County, the SDWA is administered by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). In order to assure protection of your drinking water and to distribute safe potable water in accordance with the SDWA, we add sodium hypochlorite (chlorine) for disinfection.  Sodium Hypochlorite is a disinfectant and an oxidant.  The addition of sodium hypochlorite causes a chemical reaction with the iron and manganese, making them return to a solid state. When iron and manganese become solid, they cause the water to turn brown. Unfortunately, the more disinfectant we add to provide safe drinking water, the darker the water becomes.

Brown or \"Tea\" colored water is a problem in the Mohave Valley area but it is not a safety issue, it is an appearance issue. Iron and manganese are naturally occurring minerals that humans can safely consume. However, due to the water color problems associated with these two minerals, Willow Valley Water Company is working to minimize the coloration effect.   

Global Water is committed to serving the highest quality water and we are working closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality on the progress of our efforts.