Discolored water causing major concerns for Abington residents

ABINGTON, Mass. — When it comes to dirty water in Massachusetts, it seems our tolerance for it goes no further than a song.

Abington residents tell Boston 25 News they are fed up with turning on the tap and not recognizing what’s pouring out of it.

"I turned on the tap and it was the brownest it's ever been,” Brenda Cuneo said. "The grout in my bathroom is orange, the toilet tanks are brownish orange we don't drink the water."

Dan Callahan is the superintendent of the Rockland-Abington Joint Water Works.

He says the discoloration is typical. It’s caused by the system being flushed, which agitates the underground pipes stirring up sediment.

Normally, the system is flushed twice a year, but that wasn’t the case in 2016 because of the severe drought.

"We did not flush in the fall so the stuff that's being done now is twice as dirty as it normally would be,” Callahan said.

But residents contend that it's not just when the system is being cleansed.

"The water's not clean and that's from the water mains,” Cuneo said.

The answer is less simple though.

"We have a 100-year-old system,” Callahan said. "The answer is to go with all brand-new water mains. Well, where's that money going to come from?"

Cox Media Group