Southern York County Life

I received a letter from Stewartstown Borough about the drinking water showing contamination with coliform bacteria.  Does anyone have any more info about this type of bacteria?

The fair starts tonight - find Ira (fire chief) I’m sure he’ll explain it to you!

Check it out:

http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/Publications/331-181_11-29-07.pdf

I hope I can answer most of your questions....we are required by the PA DEP to take (5) Total Coliform bacteria samples per month (this number is based on our population served). We take the samples at (5) different locations throughout Stewartstown. We usually take one sample per week, however if there is only (4) weeks in the month we must then double up to make sure we get the appropriate number of samples. We do this sampling every Thursday and the lab picks the samples up at our sewer plant. While sampling we must also measure the chlorine level in the drinking water and it is reported to DEP as well as the results of the samples. On June 26th we had to take (2) samples and chlorine was measured and found to be at the appropriate levels. On Friday, June 27th I was contacted by our lab (Analytical Labs-Middletown, PA) that the (2) samples came back with “hits” on Total Coliform, however there was no E-Coli present. DEP’s rules state if more than (1) sample in a months period comes back with a “hit” it must be reported and check samples must be taken. Since the lab was closed on the weekend we had to take the (6) check samples on Monday, June 30th. The check samples were taken at the original sites as well as samples upstream and downstream of those sites. DEP also requires us to issue a Public Notification (the letter you received) to let the customers know what is going on. If this would have been a more serious event you would have been notified immediately through the media to boil your water. If anyone has any additional questions you can PM me or call me at 324-2940. Thank you for your questions and concerns.

Thank you to Kizzo for the publication you posted.  It was much less technical than the ones I found.

Chief,
I appreciate your post and the further information you provided.  Thanks!

Thank you Chief for the extra explanation.

Extremely low concentrations of E Coli are allowed in drinking water by the EPA (I think something like one or two colonies growth per sample- the colonies are tiny, but don’t quote me on that).  Higher levels are permitted in pool water though, so another reason not to swallow any!

k80m - 15 July 2008 10:52 PM

Extremely low concentrations of E Coli are allowed in drinking water by the EPA (I think something like one or two colonies growth per sample- the colonies are tiny, but don’t quote me on that).  Higher levels are permitted in pool water though, so another reason not to swallow any!

Hmmm, “another” reason not to swallow pool water.  Um, I’m going to rank ingesting E. coli just below the FIRST reason I wouldn’t swallow pool water

Bobby102 - 16 July 2008 09:13 AM

k80m - 15 July 2008 10:52 PM

Extremely low concentrations of E Coli are allowed in drinking water by the EPA (I think something like one or two colonies growth per sample- the colonies are tiny, but don’t quote me on that).  Higher levels are permitted in pool water though, so another reason not to swallow any!

Hmmm, “another” reason not to swallow pool water.  Um, I’m going to rank ingesting E. coli just below the FIRST reason I wouldn’t swallow pool water

Yeah chlorine tastes horrible!!!

eurekachief54 - 15 July 2008 12:07 AM

On Friday, June 27th I was contacted by our lab (Analytical Labs-Middletown, PA) that the (2) samples came back with “hits” on Total Coliform, however there was no E-Coli present. DEP’s rules state if more than (1) sample in a months period comes back with a “hit” it must be reported and check samples must be taken..........Since the lab was closed on the weekend we had to take the (6) check samples on Monday, June 30th.  ................If this would have been a more serious event you would have been notified immediately through the media to boil your water.

Chief - don’t you find this odd? Water is tested and multiple positive results returned the next day. So you have to retest in hopes that it is not continuing or something worse but cant because the lab is closed. So you have to wait the weekend.

No intention to say the sky is falling or its the end of the civilization as we know it but don’t you think having this big ‘what if we got a bigger problem or not” type situation sit over the weekend until the people come back to work bother you?  E Coli or anything for that matter in the water system is far more dangerous and spread quicker than a tainted salad bar.

Would changing the sample pickup day to Wednesday or Tuesday eliminate this ‘closed for the weekend’ potential or did I miss the boat somewhere?

jmkas,

Thanks for your question....our normal sample day is Thursday and the sample must sit at least 24 hours to complete the test. As I stated in my response there was no E Coli found in the sample, if there was then we would have immediately issued a boil water notice through the media. If there would have been a bacteria problem on Thursday then when we took the samples on Monday we would have at least the same amount if not more bacteria in the system, it just doesn’t vanish over the weekend.

eurekachief54 - 19 July 2008 12:08 AM

jmkas,

Thanks for your question....our normal sample day is Thursday and the sample must sit at least 24 hours to complete the test. As I stated in my response there was no E Coli found in the sample, if there was then we would have immediately issued a boil water notice through the media. If there would have been a bacteria problem on Thursday then when we took the samples on Monday we would have at least the same amount if not more bacteria in the system, it just doesn’t vanish over the weekend.

Thanks for the explanation Chief - makes sense.

Come try my water..its comes from the same area the horses drink from and where they do there business…