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Addendum, will Aiken respond to concerns about faulty brown water fiasco reports?11/7/2025
After six weeks, the Aiken Mayor has not responded as promised to the following concerns about the validity of an investigation of the Aiken Brown Water Fiasco.
'Significant Public Health and Water Main Destruction Concerns: September 22, 2025, Work Session for the "City of Aiken, SC Water System - Water Quality Evaluation Engineer's Project No. 519-01 A"
Thank you for permitting me to speak to the members of this City Council Work Session, since members of the public are not typically allowed to address these Work Sessions. Although I disagree, I accept the restraint that my questions will not be immediately answered. Public health issues and water main destruction are too important to let such a restraint block my concerns. As a foremost expert in water main breaks, I have legitimate questions about the Brown Water Report conclusions being considered in this Work Session, where this Brown Water Fiasco affected perhaps more than ten thousand Aiken people.
1. How can high flow rates be justified as a cause for the Brown Water Fiasco? I agree that high water flows loosen water hammer created rust, but there was no major brown water event last year when temperatures were hotter. The construction shutdown was related to preventable water hammer, where recorded flow rates increased by 8% in two days.
2. Was water hammer damage evaluated for the Brown Water Report? Although Aiken officials withheld important Freedom of Information Act request information, my estimated engineering calculations showed that water hammer pressures for this preventable Brown Water Fiasco were expected to exceed 1200 pounds per square inch in this 100 pound per square inch water system, which is used for our drinking water, fighting fires, and all other water needs in our city.
3. Was relinquished proprietary information used to establish appropriate water system testing during the third party's brown water investigation? To assist with a water hammer evaluation for the Brown Water Fiasco I reluctantly provided technical information to Aiken officials.
4. Was the fact that water hammers accelerate lead poisoning in customer drinking water considered for the preventable Brown Water Fiasco? Although Aiken drinking water tests meet minimum government requirements, I advised Aiken officials of the probability of accelerated lead poisoning in the homes of Aiken people who have lead service line piping to their homes.
5. Were these water borne illnesses considered for the Brown Water Report? I also advised current Aiken officials that an Aiken resident reportedly suffered from a severe Cryptosporidiosis infection from drinking Aiken Brown Water in 2018, which was later reported by that resident to [the mayor of Aiken.]
6. Are any supporting engineering calculations or analysis available for this engineering report of the Brown Water Fiasco? Although Aiken officials withheld important Freedom of Information Act request information, at least 16 of 20 brown water events in 2024 immediately followed Aiken water hammers, where brown water events have occurred every month of the year for many years.
7. Will Aiken officials arrange a future City Council Work Session to discuss these public health concerns and the ongoing preventable destruction of the Aiken water main system?'
Current facts show that the answers to all of these questions are NO'. The investigation of the 'Brown Water Fiasco in Aiken further enforce the coverup of Aiken drinking water dangers and misspent taxes for preventable water main breaks.
Addendum. A Parallel Coverup of Waterborne Disease:, 11/7/2025
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