Inspection on feeder line means brown water could return to Winnipeg taps

(Photo from Flickr/Luis LuCheng)

WINNIPEG – The City of Winnipeg is warning there could be a temporary recurrence of the brown water that plagued the city a couple of years ago.

The city says a feeder main in the water system has to be shut off for an inspection on Tuesday, and as a result, tap water may be discolored for about a day.

The city says health officials do not believe that drinking discolored water poses a health risk, but it “does not taste, smell or look pleasant.”

They warn it shouldn’t be used for doing laundry because it can leave a stain on clothing.

Back in the fall of 2013, brown water kept pouring from taps off and on for several months.

The city eventually blamed it on manganese from Shoal Lake, Ont., from which Winnipeg water is piped, and from water treatment plants, where it is used as a coagulant.