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Brown Water Pours From Faucets Uptown After Maintenance Work, DEP Says

By Carolina Pichardo | January 22, 2016 6:46pm | Updated on January 25, 2016 8:51am
 Brown-colored filled a sink in Washington Heights.
Brown-colored filled a sink in Washington Heights.
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Daniel Saleman

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Uptown residents got an unwelcome surprise when they turned their faucets to find brown-colored water pouring out Friday afternoon.

The discolored H20 was the result of sediment being stirred while officials from the Department of Environmental Protection did a water shutdown for routine maintenance and pipe work at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.

"This isn't unusual," said DEP spokeswoman Mercedes Padilla said, adding that the water is safe to drink, but suggesting that residents run their faucets for a period to flush out the sediment.

Residents reported seeing light-brown to “black coffee” hues in their water early Friday afternoon, taking to social media to share images of the discoloration. 

Many also said they reached out to local officials and 311.

Roz Baron, who lives at 180th and St. Nicholas Avenue, said she came home at about 3 p.m. to find darker water in her toilet.

“I thought it was a problem in the building,” she said, “until I went on Facebook and Twitter and saw that other people were complaining of the same.”

Daniel Saleman, of 187th Street and Bennett Avenue, said he noticed brown-tinted water early Friday afternoon and quickly reported it to 311.

“This has never happened,” he said. “You can tell it’s definitely not drinkable.”

However, the DEP and Councilman Mark Levine said the water remains safe and residents have nothing to be concerned about. They added that its crews were opening hydrants in the area to flush out the discolored water.

While the department could not confirm which exact areas were affected, residents reported seeing darker water from 179th Street in Washington Heights all the way up to Isham Street in Inwood.

“If residents get discolored water at their tap, they should let it run for a few minutes until the water is clear and cold,” Padilla said.