Belleville Water Department Reporting of Corrective Action Following an Assessment of the Distribution System

Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or that a potential pathway exists through which contamination may enter the drinking water distribution system.

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. In eighty-four (84) samples collected in July and August of 2019 respectively, we found coliforms, indicating the need to look for potential problems in water treatment or distribution. When this occurred, we exceeded the Level 1 trigger and are required to conduct an assessment within 30 days. This was our ninth Level 1 trigger in the past 12 months. A Level 2 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system. As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation. No sanitary defects were found during the assessment, however, we failed to report our corrective actions, and have therefore, violated a requirement of the Revised Total Coliform Rule.

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been an emergency, you would have been notified within 24 hours.

The Belleville Water Department failed to report the corrective action following an assessment which attempts to identify sanitary defects that have the potential to cause distribution system contamination. Inadequately treated or inadequately protected water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, cramps, and associated headaches. The Belleville Water Department failed to report the corrective action following an assessment in a timely manner, which prolonged the risk of contamination in our distribution system. We are committed to correcting the deficiency to eliminate the threat of contamination.

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