Earth Protect Blog

By Ella Cobb

Daily Camera

More than two months after the Marshall fire, Superior residents are experiencing some unexpected fallout from the disaster with the taste and smell of residual smoke in their water.

Complaints of the smoky taste and odor from residents began immediately after the fire, and the Superior Town Works Department has tested different methods to eliminate the issue.

To combat the ashy taste, the town is using a chlorine dioxide system within the water treatment plant.

According to Alex Ariniello, public works and utilities director for the town, initial costs for the chlorine dioxide system were $11,000. Ongoing costs will be $30,000 per month, although Ariniello says the system will be a short-term solution to the smoky water issue and likely will be in use for three to six months.

In the meantime, the public works department is looking into other options to try to purge some of the ash that is in the water system. One option is to draw down some water in the reservoir to get rid of any ashy sediment that may be in it.

The Marshall fire inflicted damage on Superior’s water treatment facilities and deposited ash in and near the town’s water reservoir.

With help from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the town has been consistently sampling from the distribution network and from residences. Despite the taste and odor, all water samples have been deemed safe and comply with drinking