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W/2009/57
Ms L believed the water supply in her area had be deteriorating over
time. She believed this was resulting in bleaching of her family's clothing - to the extent that
she had to replace items. She also had concerns about health consequences of the water quality
for her family. She said other residents in the town had expressed concerns also.
She said the water company assured her the water was tested on a regular basis and complied
with the required guidelines. It suggested ways she could improve the drinking quality of the
water. Still concerned, Ms L contacted EWOV.
The water company provided EWOV results of recent water tests - these showed the water supply
complied with all health parameters, although it failed some of the aesthetic parameters -
despite a mild chlorine odour, the water was safe to drink. It suggested ways Ms L could improve
the quality of the drinking water easily and cost effectively. It also advised that, for
bleaching to occur in clothing, the pH and free chlorine levels would need to be much higher than
the testing showed them to be.
We engaged an independent group to repeat the testing of Ms L's water supply and a sample from
the common town property. The results showed the water supply - at both Ms L's property and the
common area - met the drinking water guidelines. It showed room for some aesthetic improvements
but the levels were not high enough to cause bleaching.
However, the results showed high copper and lead readings in Ms L's laundry water sample -
these weren't evident in the water supplied to the property. Further discussions revealed her
husband had changed the piping in the laundry some six months earlier - and it appeared he may
have used lead-based welding material. We suggested she engage a licensed plumber to check and,
if necessary, replace the laundry piping.
Ms L appreciated the thorough investigation and was satisfied with the results - though she
still expressed some concerns about the general decline of water quality within the town.
Water quality can be an emotive issue. In this case, the damage done to the customer's
clothes was caused by the repairs undertaken by her husband - an unexpected result that
highlights the value of engaging professional tradesmen.
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