Bad Water Test Results No Cause for Alarm, City Officials Say

Temple Terrace water customers who make a practice of storing jugs for future use might want to replenish their supplies.

Routine water testing on March 14 revealed the presence of E.coli bacteria in three out of 27 samples. So far in March, 13 of 116 water samples have tested positive for total coliform bacteria, a city media release states. E.coli can make people sick and has been known to lead to serious medical complications, including death. It is especially problematic for those with weakened immune systems. (For more information about the bacteria, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control online.)

Despite the bad test results, city officials are saying there’s no cause for alarm.

“This is not an emergency and there is no need for Temple Terrace water customers to boil their water,” the release quoted Robert Gordon, the city’s public works director, as saying. “Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection requires a notice be issued when bacteria are indicated in the water supply.”

Gordon said the city took immediate action after learning about the positive coliform results. The city inspected all components of its disinfection and water treatment processes and also flushed its distribution lines to make sure no contamination was present.

“These system checks revealed no abnormalities in the treatment and distribution systems,” the release said. “Additional tests were performed on March 17 through March 20, 2013, using different sampling containers, and no bacteria were found.”

What Caused the Positive Tests?

Gordon said a number of things could be to blame for the results the city received earlier in the month. The possibilities include contaminated sampling bottles or “localized, transient anomalies,” the release said.

What You Need to Do

The city says Temple Terrace water customers do not need to boil their water or take any other action at this time. However, those with health concerns may want to consult their doctors.

Any customers who stored water between March 14-19 may want to get rid of those bottles and replenish with fresh tap water, Gordon suggested.

Temple Terrace water customers are the only ones affected. Those who receive their water from Hillsborough County or the city of Tampa are not affected.

For more information, contact the public works department at 813-506-6570.