Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) repairs starting today on a water pipe from Cedar River may cause water discoloration in the coming weeks in the University District and Green Lake areas.

"Hopefully, no one will see anything," Charles Oppelt told The Seattle Times. "But we want to err on the side of caution."

SPU assures residents that the discoloration is harmless, but urges customers who see discoloration to run cold water for three to five minutes or until it clears, but to avoid running hot water, as turbidity may enter the hot-water tank.

The repairs involve the insertion of a 2-inch electronic sensor ball into the 42-inch steel pipe, which carries water from the Cedar River to other parts of Seattle.

SPU warns that if water does not clear up on the first attempt, to wait two or three hours and try again, or call 206-386-1800 if the problem persists.

[Reach reporter Jeff Tripoli at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]