ST. CLOUD, Fla. — For the first time, the city of St. Cloud will be flushing its entire water system. In the past, the city has only flushed parts of the system where they’re received complaints.

The move comes after higher-than-expected levels of sediment were found in some of the city’s water storage tanks. 

“Brown water is not safe water,” is the phrase on Tugce Figeac’s truck. She’s also written messages all over her house’s window. 

“They're saying that this is safe. Look at this, it’s kind of like a lava lamp,” she said, pointing at a bottle of discolored water. 

Figeac said she has to avoid using the water coming out of her tap.

“So this is what’s left of our 15 (bottle) 5-gallon water supply that we use to cook, clean our vegetables and fruit and drink,” she said.   

Showing a video of “brown-looking” water coming out of her bathroom faucet, Figeac said she shouldn't have to deal with dirty-looking water..

“I have to bathe my children in this, and it’s kind of sad,” she said. 

St. Cloud officials said an inspection recently found sediment in the ground storage tanks of water treatment plant #4, a plant that has had issues in the past. 

Resin is also a problem, and city officials said a series of events happened when they backwashed their system during peak flow times that caused the water to go through a bypass pipe straight to the ground storage tanks. While the water was treated, it had not been through the polishers, which removes the final remnants of resin. 

“We now are aware that this happens. We have taken steps — for example we are no longer back-flushing the system during peak usage times, so that we are not gonna be bypassing,” said St. Cloud communications director Maryemma Bachelder. “And we are in the process of getting alarms and turbidity meters put on the plants so that if this begins to happen in the future, we know it immediately and can address it.” 

City officials said the tanks, transmission lines and later the whole system will be cleaned out.

First the city will clean the tanks using divers and vacuums. Next, the city plans to clean the large transmission pipes that come directly from the plant and connect to the rest of the water system.

Once the transmission line is flushed, then ultimately they will begin the unidirectional flushing program, starting at the plant and working their way out through the system. 

Figeac, who said she sometimes has a hard time eating off a plate that she’s washed in her sink, just wants normal looking water.

“We are hoping for a resolution — we are hoping for clean water," she said. "I mean, everyone deserves clean water." 

The city has been doing ice pigging — a treatment using ice to flush out pipes — for the last six weeks. In that time, they’ve pigged 28 miles of pipe using 76,000 gallons of ice. The process is expected to be completed by Saturday. 

On Monday city workers will start cleaning the tanks, which should take about a week. After the tanks are done, the big transmission line from the plant will be cleaned.

And in October the city will start unidirectional flushing, working their way from the plant throughout the system.

Residents with discolored water are urged to report it to the city using the St. Cloud Connect app, the city website (click on Report a Concern), or by phone at 407-957-7344.