EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An El Paso Water well that is currently not in use tested positive for E. coli bacteria on Wednesday, Jan. 15, the utility said Friday.
The well is located on Coolidge Way south of Interstate 10 in the Lower Valley and has not been used since mid-December, the utility said.
The well was only turned on this week for sampling purposes, El Paso Water said.
The well is not continuously used and was in operation for a few months last year when the utility was doing work on a nearby reservoir.
The utility says this is a different well than the one that tested positive for E. coli in November last year. That well was located along Kessler Drive in the Lower Valley.
Per Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulations, raw groundwater samples are regularly taken prior to the disinfection process, the utility said.
“We want to remind customers that our water is safe to drink,” said Ruben Rodriguez, chief water quality compliance officer. “It is standard practice that the water pumped is chlorinated before it enters the distribution system.”
El Paso Water said the well has been taken “offline” to undergo disinfection for 24 hours and will be tested again.
The utility has an estimated 157 wells around El Paso and performs monthly tests on every well to assure water quality.
“Because it is raw groundwater that is not disinfected and treated, this event does not require a boil water notice. The utility is following TCEQ protocol to correct the issue and to provide public notification of information on E. coli,” the utility said in its news release.
The utility is providing the following information on E. coli, per state regulations:
“E. coli bacteria can make you sick and are a particular concern for infants, young children and people with weakened immune systems,” the utility said in its news release. “What should I do? What does this mean? Fecal indicators are microbes whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term health effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.”
“The symptoms (listed) above are not only caused by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. Those with an increased risk should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking this water.”
The utility reiterates that the affected well will remain offline to begin the disinfection process and will be retested next week.
For more information, you can contact Ruben Rodriguez at (915) 594-5772 or rrodriguez@epwater.org. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
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