Andrews, Murphy join forces for ‘best’ water

    Andrews – Officials from two towns banded together last week to complete a task that recurs about once every 10 years.
    Over the course of a few hours on Nov. 26-27, the group added nearly 7,000 pounds of anthracite coal to the filters inside Andrews’ water treatment plant.
    “The purpose is to make the best water possible,”
said Nathan Crubaugh, water treatment plant supervisor for the Town of Murphy.
    Andrews has been without its own water treatment plant operator in responsible charge since early October. Shortly thereafter, the two towns created an interlocal agreement to share an ORC on a short-term basis.
    Andrews also purchased several bags of filter media leftover from five years ago, when Murphy refilled its water filters with coal.
    “They bought it from us and now we’re working together to put it in for them,” Crubaugh said. “We try to work together as much as we can.”
    Anthracite coal has been commonly used as a filtration media since the early part of the 20th century. Experts say particles of anthracite greatly improve water quality and extend the life of a filter before it must be refilled.
    “This helps the production of water because we won’t have to backwash as much,” Mayor James Reid said after helping employees haul and pour bags of coal into the filters.
    Although town employees periodically added small amounts of filter media over the years, last week was the first time in a decade that they added a significant amount to ensure the system filters water faster and cleaner.
    “It’s all about the product coming out of the water plant,” Crubaugh said.