City Water & Sewer Utilities

A majority of the complaints that we receive deal with discolored or “dirty” water. This problem is the result of the Iron and Manganese we have in Colusa water. The aquifers that supply the city water wells all contain these naturally-occurring substances. These elements are not harmful to ingest and are aesthetic concerns only.

These two minerals, once combined, will attach to the sides of our water mains, as well as inside plumbing (especially in the areas of the home that do not use much water). We try to flush our water system twice a year to combat this problem.

In private homes this will occasionally cause brownish-red or “dirty” looking water. If this does occur, first call the City of Colusa to make sure there isn’t something going on (such as flushing) in your area. Flushing your house lines while we are flushing city mains will only cause more dirty water to enter your home. If there is no work going on in your area, wait about 15 to 30 minutes, and then flush your water lines to clear the objectionable water from your lines. If it doesn’t clear itself after you have flushed your house lines, call the City offices again, and they will dispatch someone to your area to clear it through the City water main.

Colusa has naturally occurring Sulfates in the aquifers from which the city obtains its water. These Sulfates combine with other constituents to form sulfide gases when the water warms causing a rotten egg or sulfur smell.

We chlorinate our water to keep these odors in check, but occasionally we will have a mechanical failure or the water warms more than anticipated. If you notice this rotten egg or sulfur odor, please give us a call, we will do our best to mitigate the issue. Keep in mind that it takes awhile for the new chlorine setting to make its way throughout the entire system.

If the smelly water issue gets worse, feel free to call back. A question to keep in mind is whether or not you have installed or replaced your water heater within the last year. New water heaters are often equipped with magnesium anode rods. The combination of these magnesium anode rods, the natural chemical makeup of Colusa water, and the heat, make this odor even more objectionable. In order to reduce or eliminate the odor problem, water heaters in Colusa should have Aluminum Anode Rods. Therefore, if you are hiring an out of town plumber, or are purchasing a water heater out of town you should ask for an Aluminum Anode Rod.

If the issues above are not resolved, we will adjust the Chlorine dosage as soon as possible to correct the problem.