Well Flushing Upsets North Sacramento Residents Concerned About Water Waste
NORTH SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Homeowners in a North Sacramento neighborhood are upset after seeing water gushing into a nearby canal. City water officials say they've been flushing out the system for weeks. But many people in the neighborhood aren't sure why.
"It's a waste," said James McKenzie, who lives nearby. "If it's such a precious resource, then why are they dumping it down the drain?"
McKenzie lives just around corner from Well 143. About five weeks ago, he noticed water rushing into the canal on Acacia Avenue.
"They have the city going around writing tickets for people, you can't water your lawn, you can't wash your car, and they're dumping all of this water down the drain," McKenzie said.
When he called the number posted on the Department of Utilities sign on the well, they told him it was clean water so he shouldn't worry about it. So CBS13 called the number on the sign to find out more information.
According to the Department of Public Utilities, the well was recently repaired and "anytime we repair a well, it must be flushed out completely before it's back in service."
The city couldn't say how much water is flowing out of the well, but did say that water will continue to flow until it reaches Sacramento drinking water standards. And the city tests that water quality on a daily basis.
"We're not wasting water; we're doing a service for the community."
Tony Spanos rides by the canal almost every day. We told him what the city told me and Spanos said it seems like a double standard.
"I don't understand it," Spanos said. "I guess the city can do it but we can't."
The other side of the canal is completely dry. McKenzie told CBS 13 that the other side would typically look identical if the water hadn't been flowing for so many weeks.