HAYESVILLE — The village mayor said Thursday that Hayesville’s recent water issue could have been caused by air getting into the system’s new lines.
Hayesville Mayor Robin Beasley said that’s the likely cause for the boil advisory — which was lifted Thursday morning — but that they still don’t know for sure.
“I mean, we’re still under warranty,” she said. “Our operator did absolutely nothing wrong. (The water treatment facility) is only six months old.”
Village residents and businesses were under a boil advisory from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning.
Beasley said officials discovered issues Monday night. Workers ran a pump for a couple hours and the facility’s clear wells filled.
“But then they shut off and didn’t turn back on,” the mayor said. “And we tried and tried but (Buckeye Pumps) couldn’t get (the existing pump) running.”
That meant the village needed to get a potable pump to fill the water tower again. It had been used in a deep well before. Putting a pump like that into a clear water well triggered the need for a test, to make sure it hadn’t introduced harmful bacteria to the drinking water.
The test — sent to Alloway Environmental Testing on Wednesday afternoon — then triggered the need to boil water as a precautionary, Beasley said. Those results came back negative Thursday morning, she said.
Beasley said the pump was essential.
“If it weren’t for that pump, the whole village would have been without water,” she said, adding her gratitude to those who worked off hours to install it.
In the meantime, residents and businesses were urged to boil water before drinking or using it.
Beasley said some businesses were forced to close or limit sales of certain products.
Ottawa County boil advisory not connected
The boil advisory happened to line up with one that continues to affect communities in Ottawa County. Officials there have said an Ottawa County Regional Water Treatment Plant employee — Jeffrey Kukay, 20 — was found dead at the plant on Monday.
The advisory has since been lifted for some communities in the county.
Beasley said the incident in northern Ohio has nothing to do with what happened in Hayesville.
“We do not have dead body in our water tank,” she said. “Our aquifers are totally separate. Our wells are totally separate. There’s absolutely no way (that’s connected).”
Hayesville will continue to investigate what led to the suspected air in the lines, the mayor said.
“We think that’s what happened, but no one can tell us that’s what happened,” Beasley said. “But I stand behind our operator 150%.”