Bacteria found in Saipan drinking water

E. coli bacteria were found in Saipan water delivered to the area from Palu Ln., Kahida Pl., Kalahi Ln., Navito Dr., Abaniku Ln., Kornmat Wy., and Lamasa Pl., on Sept. 18, 2008. Routine and repeat samples collected on Sept. 17 confirmed the presence of these bacteria. These bacteria can make you sick, and are of particular concerned for people with weakened immune system.

[B]What should I do?[/B]

Do not drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottle water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. You may also add household bleach to your water. After adding the bleach, allow it to mix or sit with the water for 30 minutes before using the water. Use this chart that allows you how much bleach to add to the water.

[B]Emergency Disinfection Using Chlorine Bleach[/B] Amount of water For clear water use this much chlorine For cloudy water use this much chlorine
1 quart 2 drops 4 drops
1 gallon 8 drops 16 drops
5 gallon 1/2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon

Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some elderly, and people with severely compromised immune system.

The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

[B]What happened?[/B]

Bacteria contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process. On Sept. 17, 2008 around 9am, inadequate chlorine levels were detected in a routine sample and the chlorine dosage at the well was “0”. Repeat samples were collected at this time. The chlorine booster pump at SV-1 chlorine station malfunctioned, which caused the dosage to drop to “0” lbs. per day. This was not discovered until Thursday morning at around 10:20am of Sept. 18, 2008.

[B]What is being done?[/B]

Thursday afternoon, Sept. 18, the pump and motor crew replaced the motor of the chlorine booster pump and reactivated the well. Chlorinators flushed the lines and chlorine treatment increased for the disinfection process. Additional repeat samples will be collected the afternoon of Sept. 18 for microbiological analysis and these results will be available around noon today, Sept. 19, 2008.

The public will be informed when they no longer need to boil their water.

For more information, contact the CUC Water Quality Laboratory at 322-5140 or the CNMI Division of Environment Quality at 664-8500. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791. [B][I](CUC)[/I][/B]