MAPLETON, Utah, June 19, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Mapleton has issued an update on the water-boil advisory issued Thursday.
Nine water samples have been taken Saturday, and new results should be back on Sunday, says a statement issued at 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Test results from the eight samples taken Friday came back free of Coliform and E. coli bacteria, which were detected in samples taken earlier in the week.
“Today (June 19) we collected an additional nine samples throughout the city. Samples take 24 hours before we receive results. We anticipate the lab providing the results tomorrow (June 20) morning.”
The city has collected two sets of samples a day apart to ensure the water is safe to drink, the statement says.
“We encourage you to continue to follow the Mapleton City Boil Order Advisory … and to report any illness to the Department of Health,” the Mapleton City statement says.
“We take your health and the quality of our drinking water very seriously. We anticipate providing another update within the next 12 hours. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.”
The city’s first advisory was issued on Facebook at 8:17 p.m. Thursday.
“Mapleton City was notified by our laboratory on June 17, 2021, that the samples taken at our spring on June 16, 2021, were present for Total Coliform and E. coli bacteria. After we were notified, our operator immediately stopped using our springs for drinking water until we can resolve the problem.”
Mapleton City uses both well water and spring water, the statement says. The spring water flow is currently low, and makes up only about 5% of the city’s drinking water, it said.
The spring water is then chlorinated before it enters the distribution system, the statement says. Samples collected on June 9 came back negative for E. coli bacteria.
“We are working with the Division of Drinking Water to resolve this situation,” the statement says.
Mapleton City urged residents using spring water to not use water without boiling it first.
“Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for three minutes, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water,” the notice says. “Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.”
The presence of E. coli indicates the water “may be contaminated with human or animal wastes,” the statement says.
“Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.”
For more information on the possible medical repercussions of drinking contaminated water, and to view the city’s plan for correcting the problem, read the full statement here.
