LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A guest recently staying at the Aria said he was startled after he tried to take a shower and murky, brown water came from every tap inside his hotel room.
Edward Pierson said he was at the world-famous hotel late last month for a work conference.
After he had traveled to Las Vegas, he checked into his hotel room and was preparing for dinner.
"I always take a shower before meeting up with colleagues for dinner and when I turned on the water for the shower, it came out black," said Pierson.
Pierson said he grabbed his phone and went to the sink and sure enough the same colored water came out of those taps as well.
"I didn't want to be in the same room, it's something that you just don't expect," said Pierson.
Pierson went to hotel management for answers about his water concerns.
"He didn't really answer any questions," said Pierson.
"He said, at one point, the water was shut off to the sixth floor last night and that's why this happened on that floor," said Pierson.
Pierson said a few other colleagues who were staying on other floors reported similar water concerns.
"That sediment is normal, it's all the particles, the heavy stuff that sinks to the bottom of the pipe and the water passes right past it," said Shawn Butter owner of Butter Plumbing.
"When the water is shut off and it gets a gush of water past is what causes it to stir up," explained Butter.
Butter said the sediment contains a mixture of naturally occurring items, including sand and silt.
It becomes concentrated when it is disturbed, typically during a water service disruption, maintenance or construction, according to Butter.
Butter said, although it can be jarring to see coming from the tap, the water will typically clear in a few seconds and is safe to use.
Butter said he would not recommend using the water until it clears, however.
MGM Resorts International released the following statement regarding the incident:
“We often perform routine maintenance between guest stays. Unfortunately, in this instance, some work on one hotel tower's water system was not yet complete prior to this guest’s arrival. Our staff responded quickly after learning of the incident and provided the guest a new room and other accommodations, along with additional support to help resolve the situation. We follow high standards and work hard to ensure all guests have an enjoyable experience.”
