Homeowners fed up with Winnipegs brown water 1 year on

While dozens of homeowners are still dealing with frozen pipes after a bitterly cold winter, others are already facing a familiar summer problem brown water.

Rodney Bodner moved into his East Kildonan home last year, and since then, he has been plagued by discoloured water pouring from his taps.

Bodner said the water has cost him hundreds of dollars in damaged laundry, not to mention the daily inconvenience.

Doing dishes, fixing supper, filling up the pot of water, half the pot is clean and then boom! It goes brown, said Bodner.

He said when the water isnt brown, its yellow, and so far, the city hasnt done anything to help.

The city is full of crap just like their water, he said.

Bodner has called 311 numerous times, but he said he often gets different answers about whats causing the discolouration.

One guy told us that it has to do with construction and that's the flavour of the month, he said. They dont know what theyre doing.

Last year in June, 361 people contacted 311 to complain about brown water. So far this June, 229 people have called.

Last January, city officials promised to implement recommendations made in a report on brown water, including flushing the citys water mains over the next two years.

Coun. Paula Havixbeck said she was told in a meeting last week that flushing process hasnt even started yet.

In addition, she was told the citys fire hydrants havent been flushed either despite the reports recommendation they be flushed two to three times a year.

People [are] working long shifts, being called in on days off to deal with frozen pipes, and now, were going to need to be cramming another kind of process in, she said. Why can we only do one thing at a time?

Havixbeck said she plans to raise the issue at city council on Wednesday.

In an email to CBC, city officials said they plan to release details on what has been done to resolve the brown water problem sometime in the next 10 days.

Havixbeck said thats way too long.

People want to know when this problem is going to be resolved and that it is going to be resolved, she said.