UPDATED FRIDAY, DEC. 13
UPDATE: DEQ released a statement Thursday, Dec. 12, notifying the public that the mandatory boil order for the town of Stratford had been lifted and the water is now safe for human consumption.
Stratford residents who use municipal water have been under a mandatory boil order this week, after a positive test result for E. coli came back during routine testing of the town’s public water supply.
The Oklahoma Dept. of Environmental Quality required the order be issued Dec. 6.
Residents have been asked to only use water that has been brought to a full, rolling boil for at least one minute, bottled water, or water from another acceptable source for consumption, use in food prepa-ration, dishwashing and brushing teeth.
Stratford’s Public Works Director Phil Idell offered additional information about the order and the steps being taken to remedy the situation during the Stratford Board of Trustees’ regular meeting Tuesday evening.
Idell said results from the town’s regular monthly water testing for DEQ which were received Dec. 3 indicated elevated levels of total coliform in the water from two sample sites.
“Total coliform is a naturally occurring bacteria that’s in everything,” Idell said.
According to the EPA, coliform is not harmful to humans, but its presence at high levels in drinking water can be an indicator of other water treatment issues.
Because of the positive coliform results, Idell said backup tests were conducted at the two positive sample sites and additional testing of the water supply was conducted at sites both “upstream and downstream” from the sites that tested positive.
One of the follow-up test sites, which is not a site normally used for sampling or testing, came back positive for E. coli late Friday afternoon and the mandatory boil order was put in effect.
“It was the only site that tested positive for that. Everything else was clean,” Idell said, adding that some of the follow-up testing was still positive for coliform.
After receiving the test results, Idell said the public works department began “a deep dive” into the town’s water system to see what issues might need to be addressed. They discovered a Venturi chlorine injection valve that was malfunctioning and was likely a contributing factor in the high total coliform levels. That has since been replaced and the chlorination system is working properly, according to Idell.
He said the town is required to take two follow-up samples at each of the sites that tested positive for E. coli and elevated total coliform. The first round of testing was done Tuesday, and the second round was planned for Wednesday. If those tests are negative, Idell said he was hopeful the boil order could be lifted by Thursday.
“That’s our projection at this moment,” Idell said. “Everything is looking good. It’s flowing good. I believe we’re on the right track. We’ve had a lot of support from ORWA (Oklahoma Rural Water Association) and DEQ. We’ve got the right people in place to get this corrected and taken care of as quick as possible.”
Stratford’s water is supplied by four well sites. Idell said he is unsure how E. coli could have been introduced to the system, but he believes flooding rainfall in the area last month and a well that was offline for a short time may have contributed to the high levels of coliform.
Town employees were out Saturday going door to door, making sure residents were aware of the order and posting notices, according to Town Administrator Tonia Jones. She said town crews have also been flushing lines and hydrants periodically since Saturday, which may cause low water pressure for some residents.
“We’ve been very proactive. We’ve done everything DEQ has asked us to do,” Jones said. “This has been a new situation for us. We’ve never had this happen before.”
Residents will be notified once DEQ lifts the boil order.
In the meantime, Jones said, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Ada has donated six pallets of bottled water for distribution to Stratford water customers. That water is available at Town Hall, 110 E. Main St.
