HOEMDALE, Idaho — Some Homedale neighbors say they're still dealing with recurring brown water and a persistent sulfur smell years after first raising concerns, even as city officials maintain the water is safe to drink and major infrastructure improvements are underway.
Idaho News 6 traveled to Homedale after receiving a tip from a viewer and spoke with several neighbors who described intermittent brown water coming from their taps, with some saying it appears once or twice a week.
Jonathan Gillespie said he noticed the problem the day he moved into his home more than six years ago.
"We turned on our water. It was pure brown," Gillespie said. "They said it was settlement... but found out it's just a normal thing here in Homedale."
WATCH: Why some Homedale neighbors are still questioning their tap water
On the day Idaho News 6 visited the neighborhood, the water at Gillespie's home was clear. Another neighbor who declined to be interviewed on camera said their water had been brown earlier that morning before clearing.
Gillespie said the discoloration still occurs regularly.
"Probably once, twice a week, roughly," he said. "When the river looks cleaner than the water coming out the faucet, it kind of makes you think twice about what are you drinking."
Although the water was clear during the visit, Gillespie said another concern remains.
"I can smell sulfur coming from your sprinklers," Senior Reporter Riley Shoemaker observed while interviewing him.
Gillespie said the sulfur odor is present daily while showering, washing dishes and doing laundry.
A few houses away, neighbor Thad Deason said the water from his tap was also clear that day, but he said that is not always the case.
"So right now this water is clear, so it is improved," Deason said. "But there is still a smell of sulfur."
Deason said the sulfur odor has been present for years, while the discoloration has become more noticeable in recent years.
"The sulfur smell has always been here," he said. "But recently... we've noticed the color change... it's like a thick, thick brown."
In a statement to Idaho News 6, the City of Homedale said the discoloration is primarily caused by ongoing water main replacement projects and its annual hydrant flushing program, both of which can disturb naturally occurring mineral sediment, including iron and manganese, that has accumulated inside water mains over time.
City officials said testing has not identified any violations of state or federal drinking water standards and that the temporary discoloration does not indicate the water is unsafe.
The city said it has also begun several long-term improvements, including replacing aging water mains, drilling a new municipal well, improving water circulation by eliminating dead-end water lines where possible, rehabilitating the city's water storage tank and continuing its hydrant flushing program to improve water quality and system reliability.
Still, the neighbors Idaho News 6 spoke with said they are waiting for the day they can rely on consistently clear water.
"If we're gonna pay for something, I expect to get clean water and healthy water," Gillespie said. "If not, why should we be paying that water bill?"
