General News:

Jordan Narrows Staining Update

Dewey Peterson, with Peterson Drilling Co., attended a seminar on November 12, 2008, made available by Hansen, Allen, Luse Engineering.  Dewey will advise Lehi City Water Department of any recommendations of treatment that can be used to control the iron bacteria in water wells such as our Jordon Narrows facility.  Peterson Drilling will test available chemicals in their private well and document the results.  Mr. Peterson will keep Lehi Water advised of methods for future consideration for our staining problems.

 
With the fall season approaching, the Lehi City Water Department is asking City residents take a few minutes to winterize their sprinkling systems.  One of the biggest problems that we see is people forgetting to shut their systems off and having them break when the weather freezes.  This can cause flooding or other damage to a home when it is most inconvenient.  Water line breaks in the winter can be miserable and difficult to fix.  We recommend that the system be shut off at the valve in the front of the property.  This will require a home owner to find the small circular box located in the lawn, clean it out, and see if a valve wrench will work on the valve.  Every home in Lehi should have an irrigation hook up and a culinary meter.  The culinary meter is located inside a vault with a large metal lid showing.  This is so the technician can work on the meter or radio unit if necessary.  The irrigation hook up consists of a valve located in a small circular metal box.  The irrigation system is active all year long because the fire system is hooked to it.  This enables the city to have more water for fighting fires if needed.  There are two styles of irrigation set ups.  The older system is just one box and the newer one consists of two boxes.  The pictures illustrate both systems.  The newer style has a City shut off valve with a five sided bolt attaching the lid.  The second box is for the home owner and has a stop and waste valve attached to it.  The stop and waste valve is designed to drain the line after the valve and has a regular bolt attaching the lid.  This is the recommended shut off for home owners.  It allows the line to drain between the valve and the automated sprinkler valves.  In either case, the valves should be shut off.  It may require some work to find the valves and clean them out if they haven't been used for several years.  Grass or vegetation may have grown over them or in some cases landscapers may have covered them with soil for flower beds.  These valve boxes should be located so that when needed the valves can be used to shut the system off.  If any assistance is needed to locate the valves, please call the Water Department and we will send someone out.  It is a good idea to do this while the weather is nice and before the ground freezes.  The City has two excellent irrigation technicians, Kenny Carter and Lane Broadhead, that are willing to help when needed.  For assistance call the office at 768-7102, ext. 3.  After hours please call 836-1045.

• Lehi City water is chlorinated and requires no further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
• Sanitize all containers before you use them in a solution of 1 teaspoon of household chlorine bleach to one quart of water.
• Don't use plastic milk jugs or juice containers because they tend to crack and leak more easily.
• Store water in sturdy plastic bottles with tight fitting lids. Rinsed chlorine bottles work well also. 
• Do not store water in direct sunlight. Store at a fairly constant, cool temperature.
• Have bleach available for purifying water sources other than stored water. Use 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water. 
• To disinfect water boil vigorously for 2-10 minutes. 
• You can also treat water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets, or unscented household chlorine bleach. To use chlorine bleach, add 1/8 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water if the water is clear. For cloudy water, add 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per gallon. Mix the solution thoroughly and let it stand for about 30 minutes before using it. Treating water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets or liquid bleach will not kill many parasites and organisms as effectively as boiling will.
• Stored water should be replaced annually.
• The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before you use it.
• Do not drink bottled water if the seal has been broken until it is treated. 
• Drink only bottled, boiled or treated water until your supply is tested and found safe.
• Know the location of your incoming water valve.  You may need to shut it off to stop contaminated water from entering your home.
• To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level.  A small amount of water will trickle out.  Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.
• To use the water in your hot water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank.  Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot water faucet.  Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.