KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo utility officials still can’t say for certain if there was a real threat to public health when they declared a boil-water advisory for a large portion of the metro area over the weekend, but they will do some things differently the next time.
Public Works Director James Baker says they had two bad tests in Milwood, one showing E. coli, from a Miller Road hydrant on Friday and a second for coliform bacteria on nearby Emerald Drive early Saturday.
At that point, they were compelled to act.
Follow up tests at those two locations showed no problems, and the source of those contaminants remains a mystery. He says all their other tests system wide were fine.
He says they followed their normal procedures for spreading the word, via press releases and social media, and through community networks.
He says they also got messages out to around 400 restaurants and food trucks.
Baker admits their map of the impacted neighborhoods could have been better.
Commissioner Chris Praedel admonished him for using the terms “high and low pressure zones” to describe the impacted communities, instead of the names of their neighborhoods.
Baker says the investigation continues into the possible sources of the bad tests, and they plan an after-action review meeting next week to review the incident.
The advisory was lifted Monday morning when no other bad tests occurred.
Baker is still recommending you flush water heaters and icemakers just in case.
Businesses closed, restaurants threw out foodstuffs, plans were impacted and people were worried by the weekend advisory.
Comments