SpeakOut 8/15

Water woes

As a resident of Sikeston I would like to Speakout about the water problems in the city of Sikeston. Can something be done so we won't have rust or sand in our water? Try to do laundry. Put your white clothes in what looks like good clear water and when you get them out of the washer, they maybe white, yellow or even tan. Take a shower or bath, flush the commode and there is sand in the tab or the commode. Called the city and was told it was my problem and I needed to call my landlord. So I called one of my neighbors and found out they had the same problem as I have do. I have called the city personnel and told them of the problem and was told that they had some stuff I could come buy and get to take the sand out of my laundry. But that chemical is so hard on the fabric. One time when I called I was told it was all over town the same problem I was having. Another time I was told only six people are having the problem. Well, which one is right? Flushing the fire hydrants does help for a short time. Isn't there a permanent answer to the problem? Help, please see if something can be done to solve this water problem.

This has been an ongoing problem for us the last couple of years, and we are working hard to try and solve it. As soon as customers complain of rusty water, flushing distribution lines is the accepted method of beginning to solve it. Unfortunately, there is no permanent fix to the rusty water problem although we do our best to remove the iron and manganese from our water supply before it is delivered to the customer. The very small amounts that are not removed by treatment processes, remain in the system, and over time, accumulate in the lines creating a "rusty water" situation, especially in high demand periods. Our water is safe, but the ugly color remains a concern of BMU. We will continue the flushing process, and hopefully will get rid of most of the rusty water. Instead of "wasting" all that water on the ground, we have opened a large valve to the power plant, hoping the rusty water will travel there. That water can be used for production instead of just going down the drain. There is no sand in our drinking water. If the person who called in about the rusty water has sand in their water, it may indicate a problem in the household, or it could be calcium deposits from the hot water tank. We would be glad to investigate this for them. BMU provides a chemical by the common name "Rover" that is provided to the public at no charge. This substance removes rust color from your clothes. We know of no substance that will get rid of sand in the water, due to not having that problem in our lines. Questions and comments are welcomed, and we will continue to fight this ugly water situation. Ed Throop, BMU General Manager

Putting an end to it

I'm glad the City Council is addressing the sagging pants trend that has taken over Sikeston. When I'm out around town with my family, the last thing we want to see is some guy's underwear, or lack there of.

Good job

I would like to congratulate Coach Lee Walters and the Sikeston Traveling All Stars 7 and 8-year old black team for winning the tournament at Dexter a few weeks ago. Coach Walters is a very good man, a very patient man with the children and a very good coach. The kids worked hard and they never gave up. They all deserve congratulations.