Testing the waters

Mike Lamarch moved to a rural subdivision just outside the Jackson city limits a little more than a month ago.

Lamarch hails from Milwaukee, where in 1993 a public water supply tainted with cryptosporidium killed more than 100 people, including several children.

One day while out in his new neighborhood at West Lake Meadows near Jackson he found a man servicing the water pump near his home. Lamarch asked the man when the last time the water was checked. The man said it hadn't been checked in years as far as he knew.

Lamarch was astounded.

"This is a big concern to me and my wife," he said. "This is not a minor problem."

Now, a test has shown that the water contains coliform bacteria, and the homeowners association has taken steps toward resolving the issue. Coliform isn't necessarily dangerous, county public health officials say. But it is an indicator that something isn't right with the water system.

Regardless of the findings, this example brings up important issues: How safe is your water? And who is responsible for checking it?

If you live in the city limits of Cape Girardeau and Jackson, you most likely don't have anything to worry about, barring a water plant breakdown. Municipalities, most of which have water department personnel who closely monitor water filter procedures, must provide water samples each month to the Department of Natural Resources. Situations like those in Milwaukee are rare.

But the restrictions and regulations get a bit fuzzier in unincorporated areas of the county.

A well serving fewer than 15 connections or fewer than 25 people is not considered a "community" or "public" well and falls under the Cape Girardeau County Health Department's jurisdiction.

If the well serves 15 connections or 25 people, the DNR regulates the water system.

Chlorine device removed

The Department of Natural Resources is looking into the situation at the West Lake Meadows subdivision, where a homeowners association member familiar with the water system says it has been "years" since the water has been tested. That test years ago found problems that were corrected when the association installed a chlorine device, according to Dale True, a longtime resident of the subdivision. Some time ago, he said, that device was disconnected because some homeowners didn't like how the water tasted.

True said the homeowners association was never made aware of the fact that theirs was a public water supply and that they needed to monitor the water quality.

This past week, another test was performed by an independent company that services the well.

"We didn't get a good reading," True said. "But we want to do whatever it takes to make it right. We are going to correct the problem. We want good water. Everybody out here does."

That will likely require monthly testing.

Before the DNR places restrictions on the water well or demands monthly testing at West Lake Meadows, it first will have to determine whether the subdivision qualifies as a "public" water source, said John Hill, a DNR environmental engineer at the Southeast Missouri regional office in Poplar Bluff.

The homeowners association has sent a survey to DNR.

Bob Lucas, a member of the association, said 22 houses are connected to the well. If that's the case, then DNR will recognize the subdivision as a public water supply and will require the homeowners association to sample the water at least once a month.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there are 20 public water supplies in Cape Girardeau County. Some of those include Jackson, Cape Girardeau, Delta and Allenville. There are many more than 20 subdivisions in the county with more than 15 connections, suggesting many are not in compliance with DNR's water quality standards. However, many out-county subdivisions may be hooked into larger "public water supply districts." There are four such rural water districts in the county. They serve more than 6,000 residents.

The health department does not regulate water quality on private water supplies. It does, however, provide free testing and advice.

This means a homeowner who has his own well has no obligation to have his or her water checked for bacteria such as E. coli.

Testing positive

In 2004, the health department took 146 water samples in the county. Forty of them, or 27 percent, tested positive for either E. coli or coliform bacteria. In 2002, 30 percent of the samples tested positive.

E. coli can cause abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Coliform bacteria are less dangerous and more common. Their presence indicates that a water system is not sealed as it should be, said Amy Morris, an environmental health specialist with the county health department.

Morris said most of the problems can be treated simply by running chlorine through the pipes.

Public water wells are inspected by the DNR, and the regulations are spelled out in great detail. But determining a public water source isn't so easy.

For instance, a farmer who sets up a mobile-home subdivision on his property might assign eight structures to one well, far less than the 15 connections that would define it as a public water source. But those eight mobile homes might house more than 25 people.

"If that's the case, they should be on the list," Hill said. "Without assistance from the water system owners and consumers, it is almost impossible for the department to inventory all of the small rural systems that have grown into public water supplies."

Hill said mobile home parks are particularly difficult to inventory.

He said it is up to property owners to become familiar with water quality laws and regulations before they dig wells. Those who have private wells and are concerned about their water can call the county health department.

Hill suggests that those who live on a system with 15 or more connections or 25 or more people first call their water system officials to determine if the system is properly regulated. A water consumer who still has concerns should ask their water system officials for a water identification number and then contact the DNR about water quality.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635