Iowa DNR News
Environmental Services Division
For immediate release
Aug. 10, 2007
1. Boil order for Chariton drinking water to continue until acute
problems solved
2. Boil order still in effect for Wiota
BOIL ORDER FOR CHARITON DRINKING WATER TO CONTINUE UNTIL ACUTE PROBLEMS
SOLVED
MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Stricker at (515) 725-0270 or at (515) 250-9702
after 4:30 p.m. Friday.
CHARITON – A boil order the DNR issued Thursday for Chariton
residents is expected to be in effect for several days, although the
city water board and the Des Moines Water Works have agreed to work
together to address the problems.
Chariton residents should continue to boil water used for drinking or
cooking, brushing teeth, food preparation or any other purpose involving
human consumption until the boil order is lifted. City water may still
be used for bathing.
The order was issued after high levels of turbidity, low chlorine
residuals and elevated bacteria levels were found in routine water
testing. Turbidity is cloudiness caused by particles in the water and is
an indication of inadequate water treatment.
“The acute issues with turbity, coliform bacteria and chlorine levels
can be corrected fairly quickly,” said Jim Stricker, supervisor of the
Des Moines DNR field office. “We hope to lift the boil order in the
next few days, if sample results return to safe levels.”
Stricker added that the Des Moines Water Works will be sending four
teams to Chariton on Monday to provide training and oversight. The teams
will address the chemical feeds affecting turbidity and chlorine levels,
the distribution system which must be flushed and tested for bacteria,
maintenance of the system, and administrative details of reporting test
results.
Des Moines Water Works teams could continue to work in Chariton for
oversight and training for several months.
DNR staff will take additional bacterial samples and check chlorine
residuals in the distribution system on Monday. On Tuesday, DNR staff
will review plant turbidity records concerning turbidity levels in July.
“We will continue to require residents to boil their water until
water samples come back showing the water is safe to drink,” he said.
“When that happens, we will issue a press release.”
While the DNR expects acute problems to be resolved fairly quickly,
there are long-term, low level problems that will take longer to solve.
“These are levels of two chemicals, trihalomethane and haloacetic
acids, which exceed EPA drinking water standards and present longer term
health risks if present in drinking water over a long time,” Stricker
said.
For the DNR to lift the boil order, turbidity levels must be below 0.3
turbidity units, the total chlorine residuals must be above 1.5 mg/L
total in the distribution system and bacteria tests must be
satisfactory.
Boiling destroys disease-causing organisms, which may be in the water.
Water should be brought to a boil, boiled one minute and then allowed to
cool before using. More information on disinfecting water is available
on the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. Residents
should continue to boil their water until DNR and Chariton Municipal
Water Works officials notify them that water is meeting standards and is
safe to drink.
Stricker said that some of the problems at the water supply have been
ongoing and that DNR staff have been to Chariton once or twice a week
for the last six to eight weeks to investigate and provide technical
assistance.
Chariton’s water supply comes from two lakes located east of town.
The turbidity levels have exceeded standards, and violations have been
issued for June, July and August. The Chariton water supply changed its
disinfection method in July and must maintain a minimum of 1.5 mg/L
total chlorine residual in the distribution system. The required
chlorine residual was not maintained for 15 days in July.
The DNR is proceeding with legal action against the Chariton Municipal
Water Works for not meeting turbidity standards, not meeting the maximum
contaminant level (MCL) for total trihalomethanes and total haloacetic
acids, and other issues.
# # #
BOIL ORDER STILL IN EFFECT FOR WIOTA
WIOTA – The boil order for the City of Wiota in Cass County will
remain in effect until residents are notified by the DNR.
The DNR Atlantic field office collected water samples Thursday after
the distribution system was shock chlorinated. Laboratory results are
expected back on Monday, but residents should continue to boil water
used for human consumption until the boil order is lifted by the DNR.
Residents should boil any water used for drinking, cooking, tooth
brushing, food preparation or any other use for human consumption. The
water may still be used for bathing.
The DNR issued the boil order Aug. 2 after samples from Wiota’s water
supply showed E. coli bacteria present.
Boiling destroys bacteria present in the water. Water should be brought
to a boil, boiled one minute and then allowed to cool before using. More
information on disinfecting water is available on the EPA Safe Drinking
Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
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