From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Sept. 10, 1975:

Heather Reis, 746 Locust, appeared before the Lawrence City Commission this week with an unusual set of props — her bath towels. Reis displayed two towels to commissioners, one a clean white and the other a dingy rust color. “These towels were once identical,” she explained. “They have been washed approximately the same number of times.” Reis said the problem was the rust in the water pipes in her neighborhood and that she represented other residents with the same problem. The pipes, installed in 1922, were said to produce rusty water only when nearby fire hydrants were used, with the extra pressure causing rust to break loose from the interior of the pipes. Reis also presented commissioners with a bottle of rusty water from her tap, asking that something be done to solve the problem. This marked the second time Reis had approached the city with the rust issue. In 1974, she had filed a claim against the city for laundry damage and had been paid about $35. However, Reis said the problem extended beyond the laundry and that it was difficult to cook, bathe, and clean with the water. City Manager Buford Watson said the only permanent solution was about 2,000 feet of new pipe, which would cost about $25,000, not including installation.