Folsom water woes continue; update on investigation slated for Sept. 8 council meeting

With hundreds of pinhole leaks in residential copper pipes continuing to grow,Folsom residents have been concerned about the safety of their water supply. When you add in a broken sewer main with another ruptured water main over the last several days, those concerns are becoming amplified. While reports of new pinhole leaks continued to surface last week, something else surfaced in the early morning hours on Friday when a main sewer line broke beneath East Bidwell Street. As if that wasn't enough to rattle the nerves of residents, on Saturday morning, reports of a broken water line in the same location required the response of the Folsom Fire Department, Police and public works. The call for assistance of the Fire Department was far from your typical flooding call as workers scurried to block traffic and turn off the water flow to prevent possible collapse of the section of East Bidwell due to the rapid erosion taking place below the surface. "What is going on? This is not normal," said resident Patti Schneider, responding to the Telegraph's breaking news of the line break on Friday. Schneider was just one of many speaking out on social media over the reports of the water issues. The good news, the main line breaks have been repaired and the roadway that was closed for several days is now reopened. Those large breaks are reportedly unrelated to the numerous reports of residential pipes springing leaks; Saturday's newest break occurred when crews working on the sewer line struck a main pipe in error. The bad news, there is still little information as to what is exactly causing so many of Folsom's copper pipes to spring pinhole leaks. A pinhole might sound minor in size; however, the result has local homeowners forking out thousands of dollars for damage or re-piping of their homes that can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $20,000, depending on the home's size. Many questions remain unknown and city of Folsom officials are awaiting detailed test results to pinpoint the possible cause of the eroding pipes. While the complete results of the tests are not expected until mid-September, the situation will be discussed at Tuesday's Folsom City Council meeting as council members and the public will hear an update from Folsom Environmental and Water Resources director Marcus Yasutake. Mayor Sarah Aquino welcomes members of the community to attend the meeting at City Hall or via live webcast as Yasutake will share what is known so far in regards to Folsom's water woes. "The city's Environmental and Water Resources Director will be making a presentation to the City Council at our meeting on Tuesday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m.," Aquino shared on social media, where she made it clear the test results will likely not be in but all other information will be in the presentation. "He will share everything the city knows so far about the copper pipe pinhole leaks and what is being done to determine the cause," said Aquino. "Please be assured that we are as anxious as you are to get to the bottom of this. Residents are welcome to attend the meeting in person at City Hall, watch the live webcast, or view the recording which is typically posted the day after our meeting." According to reports, leaks have come from houses built in the 1980s and 1990s, with some in the early 2000s, all from various builders, which makes it tedious to narrow down an installation or product flaw. The city previously hired a consultant to aid in investigating the issues. The consultants are working with laboratory specialists at Virginia Tech University to conduct detailed forensic analysis on sample copper pipes with pinhole leaks, according to a statement from city officials last week. "They have also implemented a detailed water-quality evaluation to determine if there are any trends in parameters related to corrosion." "Aside from the quality, age, and composition of the pipe materials, the City is also actively examining other potential causes such as installation methodology and workmanship, unexpected foreign debris in the copper pipe, and mixed metals in the plumbing," reads the statement. "The City anticipates that the results from Virginia Tech should arrive sometime in mid-September, and the City will provide an update as soon as the data and findings are available." While the investigation continues, residents are urged to report any leaks or concerns to the Folsom Water Quality Division at 916-461-6190 or by email at waterquality@folsom.ca.us. Additionally, a community Facebook page titled, "Pinhole Pipes in Folsom," is gaining popularity where residents are discussing their leaks and sharing data. The page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/308051013623156.