LEXINGTON, S.C. — Sept. 22, 2015 — Residents in Lexington County, South Carolina, have been assured that there is no emergency for customers of the town’s water service after water samples tested positive for Coliform bacteria.
Lexington town officials explained in a letter that no Coliform bacteria was present in subsequent tests following the discovery of the bacteria in July.
They told customers that during regular testing for drinking water contaminants, two of 22 water samples tested positive for Coliform bacteria. “The standard is that no more than (1 sample per month/5 percent of our samples) may do so,” the letter explained.
The first tests were conducted July 8, wistv.com reported. These appeared to show bacteria contamination in samples taken from a commercial area near Augusta Highway and in the Hunter’s Ridge neighborhood on Highway 6, the news site claimed. Those areas were retested on July 9 and no evidence of bacteria was found.
“We believe the contamination was due to a sampler error and have increased sampling for Coliform bacteria. The additional samples currently show no Coliform bacteria present,” the official letter confirmed.
It told residents that boiling water or other corrective actions are unnecessary, however people with specific health concerns or severely compromised immune systems should contact their doctors.
If there had been an emergency, water customers would have been contacted immediately, said the town.
