(Feb. 8, 2011)

(Feb. 8, 2011) Credit: AP

The rusty, brown water that has been running from taps in some Malverne homes is safe to drink, water district and health department officials said Tuesday.

Naturally occurring iron is causing the discoloration - a problem that should be solved once a $7.5-million filtration plant that was supposed to open last October goes online.

"It is not a health hazard, but it is aesthetically unpleasant," said William Varley, president of Long Island American Water, which supplies drinking water to more than 74,000 customers in southwestern Nassau County.

"We are working nonstop right now to rectify the problem," he said.

A problem with contaminants leaching from the protective coatings inside new tanks has delayed the debut of the water-filtering system, Varley said.

Nassau County Health Department spokeswoman Mary Ellen Laurain said her agency has fielded only a handful of calls complaining about brown water from Malverne and neighboring communities.

Laurain said tests show the drinking water in Malverne meets state water quality standards. The health department is working with the utility to bring the filtration system online as soon as possible, she said.

There have been other recent problems with Malverne's water system. Freezing temperatures this winter have made it difficult to flush out water mains, and there is construction work under way on two wells, Varley said.

Residents concerned about brown water should make sure their water heaters are set at 120 degrees and are periodically flushed out, Varley said.

Last May, residents of Elmont, Franklin Square and North Valley Stream held a public hearing to address similar concerns with their water, supplied by the Water Authority of Western Nassau County.

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