11:13 AM: Seattle Public Utilities is still looking into our followup questions about brown water in Gatewood earlier this week. Meantime, we’ve just received this from Kaelen in South Admiral:

We’re on 42nd Street between Hinds and Hanford, just south of West Seattle High School. Appear to be experiencing brown water this morning. Noticed about an hour or so ago. And it has yet to resolve.

Discolored water usually results from “sediment” – mostly rust – stirred up in lines for reasons from a pipe break to hydrant testing. We’re also asking SPU about a commenter’s note that there’s been a change in the latter procedure at the utility’s direction. Whatever the cause, it’s important that you report it if you see it – 206-386-1800.

9:22 PM: SPU spokesperson Sabrina Register responded tonight to our original inquiry about Gatewood water woes earlier this week, and to the hydrant-testing change:

The Seattle Fire Department tests fire hydrants annually to make sure they will work properly in emergencies to save lives and property. Recently, firefighters have tested hydrants within the Gatewood neighborhood and are expanding throughout West Seattle. Testing hydrants can sometimes disturb sediment in the pipes and cause the water in nearby homes to be temporarily discolored. If this happens, the water will usually clear on its own in a couple of hours or by running the cold water for a few minutes. Customers can also call the Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) 24/7 Operations Response Center at 206-386-1800 for assistance or visit SPU’s website for information about discolored water and how to clear it.

From 2017-2022, fire hydrants were tested without flowing water. In 2023, fire hydrant testing protocol is returning back to its pre-2017 approach, which involves gently flowing water out of the hydrant to remove any sediment that may be trapped in the pipe feeding the hydrant. This change in practice may increase the likelihood of temporary discolored water. We apologize for any water quality issues that may be caused by this change, and we’re working diligently to test the hydrants in a manner that minimizes water quality issues for our customers.