DEQ reports Moore’s water supply clear of E. coli, boil order remains for at least another day
DEQ reports Moore’s water supply clear of E. coli, boil order remains for at least another day
Regulators from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality re-tested Moore’s water supply on Friday after E. coli was previously discovered and reported all tests were clear.
SO WE’LL DO THAT HERE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. MICHAEL, THANKS SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. NOW TO THIS THOUSAND MORE STILL UNDER A BOIL ORDER AFTER E COLI WAS DETECTED IN SOME OF THE CITY’S WATER SUPPLY. NOW, THEIR LATEST TEST TODAY CAME BACK CLEAR, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS. AND WE ARE JOINED NOW LIVE BY MOORE CITY MANAGER BROOKS MITCHELL. MR. MITCHELL, THANKS FOR THE TIME. WE KNOW THAT IT’S BEEN VERY BUSY HERE FOR YOU THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I WANT TO START WITH THIS QUESTION. THE FACT THAT WE NOW HAVE THIS THIS NEGATIVE TEST, THE CLEAR TEST. SOME PEOPLE THERE MIGHT BE WONDERING, WELL, THEN WHY IS THE BOIL ORDER NOTICE STILL IN EFFECT? WELL, THE PRECAUTIONS WE NEED TO GET TO CLEAN TEST. AND SO WE NEED TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER ROUND OF SAMPLING THAT SHOWS THAT THAT’S CLEAR. AND THEN AFTER THAT WE EXPECT DICK TO REMOVE THE BOIL ORDER. WHEN DOES THAT NEXT TEST TAKE PLACE? THOSE SAMPLES ARE BEING TAKEN AND WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE RESULTS BACK LATE TOMORROW MORNING. OKAY. SO AT LEAST UNTIL LATE TOMORROW MORNING. AND I KNOW YOU’LL RELEASE THE THE INFORMATION AND THE RESULTS OF THOSE. WHAT HAS THIS INVESTIGATION REVEALED TO YOU? IS THIS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM? HOW DID HE COLI GET INTO THE WATER? WELL, WE DON’T BELIEVE IT’S AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS E COLI CAN GET INTO THE WATER. SO MANY DIFFERENT VARIOUS METHODS. AND UNFORTUNATELY IT’S HAPPENED. WE’RE TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS IT AND AND CLEAN OUT OUR SYSTEM. AND WE’LL LOOK BACK AND WE’LL LOOK BACK AFTER THIS AND SEE IF THERE’S OTHER WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE. YOU MENTIONED CLEANING OUT THE SYSTEM. WE WERE CURIOUS AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THE NEWSROOM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO RESIDENTS AND I’M CURIOUS IF THE CITY IS GOING TO BE PUTTING FORTH ANY FURTHER ADVISORY GUIDANCE TO RESIDENTS? MR. MITCHELL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE THINGS IN THEIR HOME, THEY HAVE FRIDGES WITH WATER LINES, ICE MAKERS, ICE MAKERS, ALL THAT STUFF. DO RESIDENTS NEED TO DO ANYTHING EXTRA ONCE THAT BOIL ORDER IS LIFTED TO KIND OF FLUSH THOSE OUT, TO CLEAN THOSE? THAT’S INFORMATION. THAT’S INFORMATION WE ARE GATHERING. AND WE WILL WE WILL PRESENT THAT OUT TO THE RESIDENTS. ONCE WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, WE’RE TRYING TO FIND THAT OUT OURSELVES. OKAY. YEAH. BECAUSE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT WATER GOING GOING THROUGH. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD AND SEEN A FEW COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY’RE NOT FEELING WELL. OF COURSE, THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD THINK, WELL, MAYBE I’M NOT FEELING WELL BECAUSE OF THIS. ARE YOU HEARING OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING SYMPTOMS BECAUSE OF THIS, BECAUSE OF DRINKING THAT WATER? I HAVE ONLY HEARD OF ONE CASE OF ONE CASE. AND IS THAT PERSON DOING ALL RIGHT? YES. IS IT MOSTLY JUST KIND OF KIND OF STOMACH ISSUES? IS THAT WHAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS? IT WAS IT WAS A DIARRHEA ISSUE. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY’RE THEY’RE DOING MUCH BETTER. ALL RIGHT. THAT’S GOOD TO HEAR. WE KNOW THAT THIS OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T IMPACT THE WHOLE CITY. IT’S A SECTION OF THE CITY. ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL US HOW MANY PEOPLE HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS WERE IMPACTED BY THIS BOIL ORDER? OUR ESTIMATE IS ABOUT 15000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. IS THAT THAT’S 15000 PEOPLE, NOT 15,000 HOMES. CORRECT. 15,000. CORRECT. IT’S AROUND 8500 HOMES, I BELIEVE. IS THE NUMBER IN ABOUT 15000 PEOPLE. SO WHAT’S THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO GET UPDATES AND, YOU KNOW, SAY THEY’RE ONE OF THOSE 15,000. DO THEY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL IN ORDER TO FIND THE UPDATES FROM THE CITY? I’M SORRY. THERE WAS SOME OTHER NOISE THAT CAME OVER THE. NO PROBLEM. NO QUESTION. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. FOR PEOPLE WANTING UPDATES, WHAT IS THE BEST PLACE TO GET THOSE UPDATES AS WE MOVE INTO INTO TOMORROW? AND THE RESULTS OF THAT OF THAT NEXT TEST, THE BEST PLACE IS TO GO TO OUR WEB PAGE, W WW.MOORE.COM, OR OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. WE’LL CONTINUE TO POST UPDATES THERE AS WE GET THEM. ALL RIGHT. THE MOORE CITY MANAGER, BROOKS MITCHELL, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A LOT ON A LOT ON YOUR PLATE RIGHT NOW. AND WE’RE HOPING FOR GOOD NEWS THAT TEST TOMORROW. THANK
DEQ reports Moore’s water supply clear of E. coli, boil order remains for at least another day
Regulators from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality re-tested Moore’s water supply on Friday after E. coli was previously discovered and reported all tests were clear.
Regulators from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality re-tested Moore’s water supply on Friday after E. coli was previously discovered and reported all tests were clear. A boil order remains in effect for some Moore residents for at least an additional 24 hours for continued testing, Moore city officials said in a news release.“These public health actions are critical steps toward returning Moore’s water system to normal operations as quickly as possible. After routine testing of Moore’s water distribution system confirmed the presence of bacteria in samples on Thursday, July 9, the City of Moore and its water operations and maintenance contractor, Veolia, took immediate action to isolate the situation and take corrective action, including taking some water storage infrastructure offline, flushing water lines and adjusting disinfection treatment. All corrective action was taken in coordination and consultation with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality,” Moore city officials said in the news release.WATCH FULL: City of Moore provides updates after E. coli found in water supplyResidents and businesses in the affected area are to boil water before using or use bottled water instead. The order applies to customers of the Moore Public Water System from east of Interstate 35, south of SE 4th Street, north of Indian Hills Road and west of the Moore city limits.City officials said residents in the affected areas may pick up free bottled water at the Moore Schools Administration Building, 1500 SE 4th Street. “The amount of water per household given will be determined based on available supply,” officials said in a news release.City officials said customers should bring water to a “full, roiling boil for one minute” before drinking it, using it to prepare food, making baby formula, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, bathing infants and for cleaning open wounds.As for how the bacteria came into the city’s water supply, officials said, “bacterial 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.”
Regulators from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality re-tested Moore’s water supply on Friday after E. coli was previously discovered and reported all tests were clear.
A boil order remains in effect for some Moore residents for at least an additional 24 hours for continued testing, Moore city officials said in a news release.
“These public health actions are critical steps toward returning Moore’s water system to normal operations as quickly as possible.
After routine testing of Moore’s water distribution system confirmed the presence of bacteria in samples on Thursday, July 9, the City of Moore and its water operations and maintenance contractor, Veolia, took immediate action to isolate the situation and take corrective action, including taking some water storage infrastructure offline, flushing water lines and adjusting disinfection treatment. All corrective action was taken in coordination and consultation with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality,” Moore city officials said in the news release.
WATCH FULL: City of Moore provides updates after E. coli found in water supply
Residents and businesses in the affected area are to boil water before using or use bottled water instead.
The order applies to customers of the Moore Public Water System from east of Interstate 35, south of SE 4th Street, north of Indian Hills Road and west of the Moore city limits.
City officials said residents in the affected areas may pick up free bottled water at the Moore Schools Administration Building, 1500 SE 4th Street.
“The amount of water per household given will be determined based on available supply,” officials said in a news release.
City officials said customers should bring water to a “full, roiling boil for one minute” before drinking it, using it to prepare food, making baby formula, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, bathing infants and for cleaning open wounds.
As for how the bacteria came into the city’s water supply, officials said, “bacterial 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.”