After showering, water customer: “smelled like the lake”

The board of Pioneer Rural Water District will consult its attorney to determine if it can recover money spent to rid its water supply of a blue-greenish substance.  As for money spent last year to cleanse the water, board member Eddie Grant said, “They sold us a bill of goods.” Once again, the annual membership meeting of the district was a setting to air complaints about algae intrusion which lead to complaints about the taste and smell of the treated water.  Individually board members have heard from customers, and Pioneer’s manager, Terry Pruitt, said the office counted 44 complaints in two weeks.  One woman, who is said to have claimed she “smelled like the lake” after taking a shower, was denied a request that the district supply her with bottled water.  Board member Grant, who represents an Anderson County section of the district, said providing bottled water is simply not feasible.  In the new budget, Pioneer will divert $100 thousand dollar set aside for treating water drawn from Lake Hartwell for the purpose of buying additional water from Seneca, which originates its supply from Lake Keowee.