Some Harlem residents concerned after dealing with brown water for weeks
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- Some people in Harlem say they have been dealing with brown water running from their faucets for weeks.
Over the weekend, Eyewitness News noticed open water hydrants gushing brown water, so we reached out to the Department of Environmental Protection for answers.
They say testing confirmed the water is safe to drink and the brown water is caused by minerals - and all the open hydrants are actually part of the plan to fix it.
On Monday, Harlem resident Eric Foye gave a look at what he has suffered through for three weeks now.
And it's not just brown water out of the sink - he runs the water to let it clear up and then he jumps in the shower.
"And it turns back - for a couple of seconds and then I'm out," Foye said. "I'm not gonna stand in there and let that go on me. No, I don't do that."
The 69-year-old now uses bottled water to cook and has filtered water in the fridge.
Building managers put a sign on the lobby door because Foye isn't the only tenant dealing with dirty water.
So what exactly is going on? It all starts with the water supply for Harlem, Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
A statement from a DEP spokesperson said:
"The discoloration is caused by naturally occurring minerals in the upstate Croton Reservoir System. DEP has adjusted operations to address the issue, including drawing from different parts of the system."
And to expedite the flushing process, DEP also opens hydrants.
This weekend, an Eyewitness News viewer captured brown water cascading out of a hydrant on Adam Clayton Boulevard.
"I guessed maybe the boiler was dirty or corrosion in the boiler, said Harlem business owner Jacob Jah.
Part of the frustration is that the Harlem community recently enduring an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease and a lack of information or transparency kept them in the dark.
And now there is suddenly brown water pouring out of the faucet and seemingly no one gave the community a heads up.
"They should provide us with that information, ahead of time and prior to that happening, I feel like in certain communities they don't care," said Queenie B with Juiced Harlem.
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