Water woes affect park
BRADY TWP — Residents of Brady Hills Mobile Home Park are under a boil advisory due to sediment in the water.
According to a letter sent to residents Tuesday night, a water well pump malfunction and the loss of water pressure at the park’s water treatment facilities led to an increased chance of disease-causing organisms in the water. The notice carried a state Department of Environmental Protection letterhead.
Water for residents’ homes comes from four wells that are managed by the park. Water is part of the lot rental price.
According to the letter, repairs will be done and the park will tell residents when they no longer have to boil.
The park has about 175 lots. Some residents have been complaining for a while of brown water.
“I’m very upset about all of this,” said Connie LeGrand, who lives on Orchid Lane.
Dennis Duling of Los Angeles, one of three partners who took over park ownership in mid-December, said the complaints mainly have come because the problem was not immediately corrected.
“We’ve been working on it since the first reported incident,” Duling said.
He said the problem was caused by intermittent failures in some of the wells and one of the filters. The discoloration is due to sediment.
He said on three occasions it seemed the problems were solved, but they were not.
“It was very frustrating for us,” Duling said.
Before taking ownership, he said the partners spent $58,000 to upgrade the water treatment system. When the problems occurred, the owners brought in a water expert. Duling said it was not until a former owner took a look at the system that the main problem was found.
Since Tuesday, Duling said about 32,000 gallons of fresh water have been hauled in for residents.
LeGrand said these problems have been taking place since December. She also said the park has had water problems in the past.
She said she is not only concerned about health issues related to the water, but also about her appliances being damaged by sediment.
To solve the problem, the entire water system should be flushed after the wells and filter are fixed, she said.
“It just makes sense to me,” LeGrand said.
Sherry Rice, who lives on Primrose Lane, said she has had problems with her water since mid-December.
After boiling the water Wednesday morning, she said it was clearer, but there was a layer of scum on top. She made coffee with it.
“It tasted horrible,” Rice said. “I couldn’t drink it.”
She has been using bottled water for cooking and drinking. However, she has used the tap water for washing clothes and bathing, but said she does not feel clean after using it.
