The Water in This Small Iowa Town Mysteriously Turned Pink?

A small Iowa town had a big scare last week when residents noticed something astray with the water coming out of their faucets as well as the liquid filling their toilets. Imagine, if you can, turning on your tap-water to discover it was Pepto Bismol-pink in color!

It sounds strange, but it's true. Pink-tinted water was emerging from taps all around Shelby, IA, per its residents. Not only was the water a mystifying, weird color, it also tasted wretched.

Per KWQC, residents reported that the water tasted "like iron," with one comparing it to "drinking straight pennies." Initially, per KETV NewsWatch 7, the City of Shelby reported the water was safe to drink, only to backpedal on that report as a wild miscalculation.

Clarity came from the town's water supervisor, Chad Gordon, who said the issue started on last Saturday when two of the four water pumps didn't re-engage, resulting in the pink-tinted, foul-tasting water.

Essentially, the water flow was cut in half, but the chemicals designed to treat the water were not reduced, resulting in the water taking on the unusual color. The "pink" came from potassium permanganate. The city claimed the water was still safe to drink, but residents understandably remained skeptical.

The saddest part is this isn't the first issue residents of Shelby have experienced issues with their town's water supply. Back in February, the water was rendered undrinkable due to high levels of manganese found in the supply. Residents have experienced water difficulties for years, and are finding it difficult to trust the city as a result:

I think there’s a lot of hurt feelings between the citizens and the city council, and we all feel like our voices are not being heard. We are being run over. Nobody’s listening to what we are saying, Shelby resident Kara Robinson, per KWQC

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The City of Shelby's website has a scrolling banner reading: "Shelby Water is now safe for consumption and all uses" as of September 13th.

Talk about a confounding and difficult problem for residents who simply want the basic human necessity of safe, drinkable water they can use for their needs around the house. Read more about Shelby, IA residents experiencing another water crisis on KWQC's website.