CEDAR CITY — Cedar City warned residents that some of the city’s water is potentially contaminated, but no action is currently required.
Coal Creek flows toward a waterfall in this file photo for illustrative purposes, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 26, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News
Cedar Canyon Springs, servicing the city’s southeast and Fiddler’s Canyon areas, may contain disease-causing organisms, according to a notice dated Jan. 4 that the city posted to Facebook on Wednesday.
“These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches,” according to the notice.
The city must post a notice if springs come into contact with the surface as they are more likely to become contaminated, Councilmember Tyler Melling said at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
In response, the city is working with the Utah Division of Drinking Water and an engineer to develop a plan for installing a treatment plant, the post reads.
“In the meantime, we have the approval to operate the disinfection facilities to achieve a 3-Log inactivation of Giardia lamblia per State and Federal requirements,” the notice states. “Final construction and operating permit for a permanent solution need to be obtained within 18 months.”
Log inactivation describes the percentage of organisms inactivated through disinfection, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In a 3-log inactivation, 99.9% of organisms will be inactivated.
Residents are not required to take additional action, like boiling their water. The springs have been disconnected from the system, City Manager Paul Bittmenn said.
A woman fills a glass of water from stainless steel kitchen faucet. Stock image | Photo by PixelsEffect/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News
“The water that they’re worried about is the spring water, and we physically disconnected it from our system,” he said. “Until it clears up, we’ll keep it disconnected.”
However, because some older residents, those with severely compromised immune systems and infants could be at increased risk of becoming ill, the city suggests they seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
Additionally, anyone who experiences persistent symptoms should seek medical advice, as the symptoms listed could have various causes, the post reads.
Residents will be notified when the chlorination process is complete. Those with questions can contact water superintendent Robbie Mitchell by calling 435-865-4507 or via email.
For general guidelines on how to reduce the risk of infection, Southern Utahns can call the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
“Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses),” the notice said. “You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.”
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