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2 sites at Tinian water system have bacteria
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Posted on May 14 2008
Two sites at the Tinian water system were tested to have the presence of coliform bacteria, according to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. yesterday.
CUC in its report disclosed that the presence of coliform bacteria was detected at water samples taken from two sites in Marpo area.
Stressing that this is not an emergency, CUC said coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves.
These bacteria are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other potentially harmful bacteria may be present.
CUC said usually the presence of coliform is a sign that there could be a problem with the water system’s treatment or distribution system or pipelines.
“Whenever we detect coliform bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to see if other bacteria of greater concern, such as fecal coliform or E.Coli, are present. We did not find these bacteria in our subsequent testing. Further testing shows that this problem has been resolved,” CUC said in its report.
The utility agency collected 11 water samples on Tinian throughout April 2008 to test for presence of coliform bacteria.
Of the 11 water sites, two samples showed the presence of total coliform bacteria.
CUC explained that the standard is that no more than one sample per month may do so.
At the Marpo area, tests indicate that there was proper chlorine level in the water system. However, the chlorine treatment did not have enough mixing or contact time in the distribution system, and the waterline was flushed to remove any stagnant water.
CUC said the affected people of Tinian should observe the following:
– They do not need to boil water or take other corrective actions. However, if they have specific health concerns, they should consult their doctor.
– People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
