By Jolene FarleyThe Hills City Council is looking for ways to resolve water quality issues that have plagued city residents for months. At a Tuesday meeting they reviewed the steps taken so far to combat the problem.City officials contacted water supplier Rock County Rural Water when the problem with rusty water and sediment began last summer. Rural Water officials attribute the difficulties to the amount of phosphate added to the water to clean and coat water pipes so lead and copper isn’t carried into the water supply. This practice is mandated by the Minnesota Department of Health, according to city employee Wayne Ward. Despite flushing the affected lines and trying to adjust when and how much phosphate is added to the water supply, rusty water is still flowing to city residents.Hills’ problems are confined mostly to the areas of town where cast iron water pipes haven’t been replaced with plastic pipes."There’s more buildup on your cast iron," Ward said.City and Rural Water officials had hoped that, over time, the situation would improve, but it didn’t."What I’m really concerned about is what it’s doing to everybody that’s drinking the stuff," Mayor Jim Jellema said.The Minnesota Department of Health maintains that drinking the water isn’t harmful, according to Ward.Jellema said he was told that phosphate was supposed to break down the build-up to microscopic pieces that would "flow on through."The water flowing out of the taps in Hills has particles floating in it that aren’t microscopic.Jellema wants more information about the effects of drinking the water and a reassurance that the city won’t be liable for any adverse effects."I want that on a piece of paper and I want it signed," he said. "They are going to be responsible for that." The council questioned if the sediment in the water could be damaging residents’ water heaters or plumbing. They wondered how the water quality would be this winter when it isn’t possible to flush water lines."I personally am getting darn tired of it," Jellema said.A representative from the Minnesota Department of Health will be invited to the November meeting.In other business:oThe council appointed Ross Metzger to the seat vacated by Arlen Leenderts. oThe council discussed damage to Josephine Avenue from a crane that was parked on the newly seal-coated street. The city is asking the crane’s owners to pay for the damages.oThe council voted to increase the rate for supervising Sunday open gym at Hills-Beaver Creek High School from $15 to $25 per Sunday.