2008 Woodie Awards
Greenville city water contaminated with bacteria
Water safe again after two day boil warning
Jimmy Galloway
Issue date: 7/2/08 Section: News
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GUC reported that they had found fecal coliform bacteria in the water supply, and warned citizens to boil water before using it for drinking, brushing teeth and food preparation.
As a result, the Pitt County Health Department suspended the permits for all restaurants and food stands served by GUC's water system. This left many, especially those living on campus for the summer, wondering what to eat.
Rob Breiner, an ECU Orientation Assistant, said he and other OAs decided to travel down the road to Wilson to eat.
"We went to an Applebee's in Wilson," he said, "We decided we didn't care if we had to go out of town to get something to eat."
On campus, ECU Campus Living staff members posted signs in all residence halls, including "Don't Drink" signs on water fountains and signs on doors warning residents about the contaminated water.
The ECU athletics staff was careful to provide water and ice to athletes that was from a source besides GUC. Fecal coliform bacteria can survive being frozen, so it was important to have ice made from non-contaminated water.
Campus Dining, which remained open during the warning, took several measures to protect its customers, such as serving only food items that can be prepared without the use of water. Only pre-packaged food, milk and bottled drinks were served.
Campus Dining also used only paper and plastic utensils and drink ware, and instead of hand-washing, approved hand sanitizers were used by employees. Additionally, Campus Dining posted signs at all water sources to alert customers and employees of the contamination. They also discarded food and beverages prepared prior to the alert, and maintained communication with the Pitt County Health Department.
According to GUC's website, fecal coliforms are bacteria that indicate that water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. They pose a special risk for children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
Bacterial contamination in the water supply can occur when increased runoff enters the drinking water source, such as after heavy rains. It can also happen due to a break in the distribution pipes, or due to a failure during the water treatment process.
After discovering the contamination, GUC immediately began testing sites around the system to determine its extent, and began flushing the lines to clear the bacteria out. The point of contamination was soon discovered to be along County Home road, and the rest of the city was cleared to use the water.
Two days after the alert was initially issued, on June 27, Greenville Utilities officially rescinded the alert for all customers. Follow-up samples had been tested and determined to be free of fecal coliform bacteria, and were analyzed and cleared by State Certified Laboratories.
As a result, that day the Pitt County Health Department lifted the suspension of permits for restaurants on the GUC water system, allowing them to resume normal operations.
This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com
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