Campground water supply contaminated

The water supply for a popular public campground near Hope, Idaho, was contaminated with fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria, according to a statement from the U.S. Forest Service.

The agency is attempting to notify campers who visited the Sam Owen campground between Aug. 3 and Sept. 13.

Typical symptoms from consuming water contaminated with the bacteria include diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches. The symptoms can pose special risks for the elderly and infants, but they cause little health concern for most people, according to the agency’s statement.

There have been no reports of campers sickened by the water contamination, said Greg Hetzler, recreation manager with the Sandpoint Ranger District. The campground is closed for the season.

“We have four sets of campground hosts. They haven’t had any problems at all, and they drank the water daily,” he said. “This is very uncommon. We have never had a bad water test at Sam Owen.”

The contamination was discovered during a routine monthly water test.

Hetzler said he is “99 percent” sure the problem can be traced to a squirrel that climbed into the water system’s storage tank and drowned. A protective screen had been removed, allowing the squirrel access to the tank.

After the contamination was discovered, the entire system was drained, refilled with chlorinated water and again drained. A series of tests will be taken to ensure the system’s well water is safe before the campground opens for the season in spring, Hetzler said.

The Forest Service has attempted to notify those who stayed in the campground by tracing names through a national campground reservation database.