Town eyes change as Jetmore residents deal with discolored, smelly water

JETMORE, Kan. (KWCH) - Some in the Hodgeman County town of Jetmore are frustrated with water they say smells like rotten eggs. It’s a situation that isn’t new, but is one in which the city is looking to permanently fix.

Jetmore City Administrator Michael Ort said the smell and discoloration is due to manganese in the water.

“The problem with manganese is, it can discolor your laundry, your sinks, toilets. It can be... It can cause taste and odor issues,” Ort said.

He offered recommendations for those with the water problem.

“My experience has been that if I flush the faucet for a little while, perhaps up to a minute, it does clear up, because I drink a little bit of water every morning when I’m taking my morning prescriptions,” Ort said.

He said the culprit of the manganese problem is is well the city plans to retire within the next year, as soon as it can get a replacement.

Some in the community say Jetmore has a history of water problem. Lock’s Restaurant on Main Street, reported having to commute an hour round trip to Dodge City each week to buy bottled water to serve customers instead of using the city’s water supply.

“Fifteen or 20 gallons every week. Bring back to serve to our customers so we don’t get no bad reviews or anything form other people,” restaurant employee Tanta Pharathikoune said.

The city said it’s taking steps to identify the water-quality problem and finding a new water source.

“The timetable is probably somewhere in the vicinity of one to two years because we have hired a hydrogeologist who is going to help us investigate the problem,” Ort said.

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