By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Jan. 11, 2018) Pocomoke City will take part in a pilot program with Korean-based company IOREX to improve water quality.

If successful, the venture could save the town more than $1 million and greatly speed up enhancements to town water.

The program, detailed during a City Council meeting on Monday, alters the positive and negative charges of certain elements found in water to prevent iron from oxidizing, which can result in smelly, rust-colored water that stains sinks, washtubs and clothing.

“What they’ve done is they’ve taken carbon and put it in [piping] … to make static electricity,” Water and Wastewater Director Frank Daniels said. “You don’t have any electric bills or anything like that – you put this in your pipe and the water going through creates static electricity. It changes the structure of your water.”

The infrastructure will be installed in several areas in Pocomoke Heights as a test. The company requires a $30,000 deposit, but offers a written guarantee that if improved levels are not met the money will be refunded within six months.

The City Council unanimously supported the pilot program.

Also during the meeting, Daniels said a nearly $300,000 renovation of the city water plant recently finished. Improved water quality, a direct result of the renovation, led the town to qualify for $30,000 in grant funding for water and sewer projects from the Department of Natural Resources.

City Manager Bobby Cowger said Monday that grant would pay for most of the new equipment.

Pocomoke City public works staff started replacing pipelines in The Heights in December in what is expected to be a phased, townwide project estimated to cost about $2 million over 12-18 months. Cowger said the pilot program, if successful, could be expanded and allow pipe-replacement to occur at a less-aggressive clip.

He said the two test units would be installed by the end of January and take about a day.

“If they’re doing what we’re told they definitely should do, then in next year’s budget we’re going to plan on another three or four more and figure out strategically where we need to put them,” he said. “These people are adamant these things are going to take care of our iron, rust and color and smell problem.

“If it does, we still will have to replace the lines, but it won’t be an immediate expense. About $1.5 million is what it will save us,” Cowger added. “These guys could hit a homerun with this – if they can clean our water up, they’ll have the testing and results to take it anywhere in the country they want.”