Coping With Boil Orders Coliform Bacteria Show Up In Four Water Systems

Inez Krueger spent the past few days cooking water.

A boil-water alert sent to her house and roughly 400 others by the Hauser Lake Water Association warned of total coliform bacteria in the water.

The bacteria don’t make people sick, but they’re a sign water may contain other organisms that could.

“We boiled our water for the last couple of days, but it also tasted like Clorox,” Krueger said Tuesday. “Today, we didn’t bother to boil it. We’ve had no problems with it whatsoever.”

Hauser is one of four North Idaho water systems - serving a total of 2,650 people - on boil-water alerts this month. The others are two systems in the Twin Lakes area and the Green Ferry water system. The Upper Twin Lakes Water Co. has lifted its order, and the other two expect to lift theirs this week.

The temporary boil orders are more than an inconvenience. They leave residents wondering whether their water is safe.

People with weak immune systems face the greatest risk from contaminated water, officials say. Healthy people may be able to drink even bacteria-laced water with no ill effects.

Several Hauser Lake residents said they aren’t worried. Tests didn’t turn up any disease-causing fecal coliform bacteria, and no illness has been reported. Water managers believe dirt got into the system and a blast of chlorine killed any associated bacteria.

But at least 30 people in the Lower Twin Lakes and Green Ferry areas reported stomach flu and other problems earlier this month, said Tony Davis, a water quality officer for the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality.

A man receiving treatment for cancer reportedly became “extremely ill” after drinking water from the Green Ferry system, Davis said.

There’s no proof the problems came from the water, though “it’s quite possible,” he said.

“It’s almost like eating spoiled food,” Davis said. “Some people can take it. Others can’t.”

Boil-water orders are strictly precautionary, with the aim of informing people so they can decide for themselves, said Steve Tanner, who supervises DEQ’s North Idaho drinking water program.

“Most people want to know, and they really get upset when they’re not made aware of these things soon enough,” Tanner said.

Coliform generally signals a problem with water treatment rather than the source. Whatever is letting the coliform into the system may also be admitting disease-causing organisms such as giardia or cryptosporidium.

The last serious disease outbreak linked to water was in the late 1980s, when more than 200 people living around Lake Coeur d’Alene came down with a stomach bug, according to the Panhandle Health District.

State officials and some citizens say delays in notification can lead to health problems for at-risk people.

Once two sets of water samples show contamination, districts have 14 days to get word out.

Glenn Lee, a Twin Lakes summer resident who suffers from diabetes and a heart condition, said he got sick from the water in August - nearly two months before a boil-water alert came out.

Lee said his lowered immune capability means he needs to know about problems as soon as contamination turns up.

“I must be careful,” Lee said. “When water is bad, everyone must be told immediately.” DEQ officials agreed that the time lapse is a problem, but most districts get word out as soon as they can.

If a system finds contamination in the water, managers must wait 24 hours before a repeat test proves unsafe levels exist. Then notices go out, preferably as soon as possible, Tanner said.

Several North Idaho systems also notify customers via reader boards and the media, Davis said, but no regulations call for immediate alerts.

“It’s being handled informally and it’s generally dependent on the good will of the system operators and their board of directors,” he said.