WATER WOES: Cloudy, smelly water has plagued Pittsylvania Co. community for 5 years

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — “Just imagine paying a water bill for how many years and your water ain’t right,” Janice Clark said.

Residents of Robin Court in Pittsylvania County have been dealing with persistent water quality issues for five years. Janice Clark, who has lived in the area for 25 years, described the water as cloudy and having a strange odor, which has forced her to boil or purchase bottled water despite paying a $40 monthly water bill.

The issue began in 2019, when the county reported high levels of radium in the local well. Chris Adcock, Pittsylvania County Public Works Director, stated that radium levels have decreased since 2020.

“It’s fine to drink. It’s still fine to wash your clothes in, take showers. There’s nothing wrong with it,” Adcock insisted. When asked if he would drink the water, Adcock replied, “I did,” noting it had a “metallic taste” but was otherwise acceptable.

Adcock explained that manganese and iron deposits in the wells cause the water’s milky appearance and odor.

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The county has secured a $900,000 grant to install a new water line connecting Robin Court houses to Chatham’s water supply. Chatham Town Manager Nicholas Morris expressed support for the project.

“They need clean drinking water. It’s something we just take for granted until we don’t have it, so we’re happy to be able to provide a source point for that,” Morris said.

Until the new line is installed, Adcock said the county will issue credits to Robin Court residents for their water bills starting in July. Meanwhile, a local disaster relief organization is stepping in to help.

Devin Taylor, Director of Campus Care Ministries, said, “We go all over the Eastern Seaboard delivering water, and if we can’t do it right here in our own neighborhood, then we better just hang it up.”

Construction on the waterline is expected to begin in June and should take around six months to complete, with hopes for completion by early 2026.