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FARMINGTON — Many of the residents in Farmington said they've been living with "foul water" for several weeks, despite city officials insisting the water is safe.
In July, the water was first reported as being smelly and brown when a new well was opened in Farmington. After almost a month, residents said the tap water is still leaving a bad taste in their mouths.
"Well at first, it seems like normal water," said resident Tyler Seamons. "Then you get a couple inches and it starts turning yellow and brown. It's pretty unbearable. You get out of the shower and you're still stinky and gross. It kind of negates the purpose of a shower in the first place."
Farmington city officials have hired an outside engineering consultant to diagnose the problem. The problem has been traced back to a pump that sucks water from the new well located less than a block from the City Hall. The pump circulates 850 gallons a minute. However, tests haven't yet pinpointed the direct source of the problem.
"We've got a headache on our hands," said city manger Dave Millheim. "We know we have color in the water. We know we have some odor problems in the water. We're trying to figure out exactly what's causing it."
The city is currently paying $10,000 to an engineering firm which will investigate the issue full time. The Farmington public works crew said they have been proud of the city's water up to this point.
"We hoped when we drilled the well, we'd find the same kind of water we were used to, but it just didn't happen," said Farmington water department representative Larry Famuliner.
As a temporary solution, city employees are filling water jugs with clean drinking water for the Farmington residents.
The Seamons family have started a petition asking the mayor and city council to detach the pump from the water line until the problem is resolved.
