Dade County water authority says discolored water is safe to use despite resident worries

DADE COUNTY, Ga. — Discolored, gritty water has raised concerns for hundreds of Dade County customers, prompting the Dade County Water Authority to explain what it believes is causing the problem and to reassure residents the water is safe, despite its appearance.

For Trenton resident Kim Norwood, the issue has affected everyday routines and raised safety worries for her family.

“No. I was not comfortable putting my two year old granddaughter in the tub to soak in that,” Norwood says.

Norwood tells us she has also changed how she uses water for cooking.

“If I was going to make a big old pot of macaroni, I would use the water faucet water. You know, I didn’t use that,” she says.

Norwood says she had the water authority flush the line at her meter, but the discoloration keeps coming back.

The Dade County Water Authority says it has received 218 reports of discolored water, mostly during July and August.

Elizabeth Zeller, the Dade County Water & Sewage Office manager, tells us the reports have come from across the system.

“This is widespread. It’s not concentrated to one area. It’s throughout,” Zeller says.

Officials say water leaving the authority’s treatment plant is clear and is absent of any coli-form or E. coli.

They say extreme heat this summer may have contributed to the discoloration.

“With these elevated temperatures, it’s causing that oxidation to process and to release, and that’s where you’re getting that coloring from,” Zeller says.

Matt Smith, the Dade County water plant manager and head operator, says iron and manganese are naturally occurring minerals that can also show up as sediment, particularly when water lines are disturbed.

“When a main break happens, that all gets disturbed. You can go anywhere in this country. Any water system has it,” Smith says.

The authority says it is flushing lines when customers report discoloration and is considering a more regular hydrant-flushing program.

Dade County officials say the county produced about two million gallons of water, and served 19 thousand people each day in 2025.

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WTVC