South Greensboro residents are calling for more action and transparency from the city after dealing with discolored water for months.
According to a city presentation at a community meeting on Tuesday, complaints about brown water spiked in the summer of 2024. Officials have said imbalances in the pipe system are a factor.
But a report by the consulting firm Hazen and Sawyer indicates that Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority’s plant also played a role. One of the two modes the facility operates in caused an increase in manganese to be released in the water.
City officials at the meeting said that although this caused discoloration, the chemical element’s levels did not exceed environmental standards.
Water Resources Director Mike Borchers said the city has begun swabbing and flushing the lines in some areas to address the issue.
“We are addressing the equilibrium changes to the system as much as we can," he said. "We'll never be able to get rid of breaks. Main breaks will always be a part of this, but we can certainly, through things that we do, minimize those major disturbances.”
But residents at the meeting still had questions.
Some asked whether incoming development, such as the Toyota megasite, was being overlooked as a factor in water system changes. They also opposed the city’s plan to not begin swabbing and flushing in some southside neighborhoods until 2026.
Resident Crystal Black, who’s running for city council, said making the community wait is unacceptable.
“I feel like this happens in underserved communities across the nation," Black said. "That's what it feels like. It might not be targeted to the underserved, but that's what we feel like right now.”
City Manager Trey Davis showed openness to the possibility of creating a committee of residents to help address the problem and improve communication. He said another community meeting will be forthcoming.