Fda Clears Newman Lake Bottled Water Firm

Federal inspectors are giving a Washington bottled water company a clean bill of health, after investigating a complaint from a Coeur d’Alene man.

Laboratory tests on Green Mountain Co.’s source well and its bottled water showed no sign of disease-causing bacteria, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said Monday.

Inspectors did find record-keeping problems, but won’t take formal action against the company.

Green Mountain had no records of sanitizing its water-bottling equipment. Sanitizing is required weekly.

The Newman Lake company also did not have records of bacteriological testing of water containers and caps. There were no records of inspection and maintenance of equipment, such as the bottle washer. And Green Mountain has not had the required annual chemical analysis of its water since 1992.

Company officials say they are working with the FDA to comply with those requirements.

The FDA inspected the company earlier this month, when a Coeur d’Alene customer claimed he contracted giardia after drinking from a 5-gallon container of Green Mountain water.

George Menkello is still convinced the water made him sick, he said, though he no longer suffers symptoms of the intestinal bug. Menkello’s diagnosis could not be confirmed.

A test run in July by the Idaho State Laboratory found coliform bacteria in water taken from a bottle Menkello purchased from Green Mountain. Coliform is not harmful, but may indicate other problems.

Follow-up tests were not done to determine if there were other problems because the matter was turned over to the FDA, state inspectors said.

Green Mountain officials say the company’s water has always been good.

“We have weekly testing done at the Spokane County Health Department and they have always turned out satisfactory,” said Charlotte McLucas, who owns the company with her husband, Paul.

Menkello also raised questions about Green Mountain’s labeling practices. The label says the water comes from a spring, even though it comes from a well near Newman Lake.

McLucas said the company was changing its labels when Menkello’s complaint surfaced. The new labels will have the right information, she said.

The FDA report said the company will continue to use the Green Mountain name for water sold in Washington, but in Idaho it plans to sell its water under the name of “Water Phoenix.”

Green Mountain delivers water to homes, but no longer sells water in stores.

, DataTimes