07/28/2007

Residents express concern about safety of drinking water

Boil order issued on Wednesday

By VICTOR SKINNER

vskinner@record-eagle.com

and CHRISTINE FINGER

cfinger@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Henry Klugh is less concerned about a recent notice to boil his water than he is about not knowing when it'll be safe to drink it again.

Klugh lives in the Woodwinds condominium complex off Cherry Bend Road in Elmwood Township. He said a Wednesday notice to residents who have service with privately owned Cedar Creek Water Company advised of a two-hour shutdown and warned of a potential presence of Coliform bacteria in the water system.

The notice recommended residents boil their water or use bottled water until further notice, he said.

"We got a jug of water sitting on the counter and we use it for teeth-brushing and that sort of thing,” Klugh said. "I guess I am really more concerned that there has been no input since Wednesday as to what we might expect.”

Rick Meyer owns the water company and Orchard Health Care, which includes an assisted-living facility and a senior apartment complex that run off the same water system. Cedar Creek replaced a valve in the water system and about 250 people served by the company were notified as a state-mandated precaution, he said.

"There is always a potential for (contamination) when you turn the water pressure off,” Meyer said. "The state requires us to chlorinate and then test the water twice, 24 hours apart. The first test came back negative and the second test we expect to get back Monday.

"It is fine for showers and dishes and stuff like that,” he said.

Cedar Creek Water Company is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Environmental Quality.

Mike Stifler, water bureau district supervisor for the DEQ's Cadillac office, said the agency recommends a boil water advisory after a water system is shut off and turned back on.

"The notice was not the result of any positive bacterial finding,” Stifler said.

Residents served by the same system temporarily lost water service last year when firefighters tapped into hydrants to battle a blaze at Orchard Creek Health Center.

Stifler said DEQ officials told the system's owner to put signs on all hydrants stating that they are not adequate to provide fire protection.

Elmwood Township Clerk Connie Preston said she received two calls about the issues with the water system. Both were from relatives of residents at Orchard Creek.