Haines Borough employees are scratching their heads as to why a water sample last week tested positive for E. coli, when five follow-up samples came back clean.
Last Friday, the Department of Environmental Conservation rescinded the boil order that had taken effect Wednesday following a routine water sample testing positive for E. coli.
E. coli indicates water may be contaminated with human or animal waste.
The sample was taken from a water spigot on Louie Meacock’s property a couple hundred yards from the Piedad spring chlorination station, public facilities director Brian Lemcke said this week.
Historically, that is where routine tests for the Piedad spring have come from, Lemcke said. “It’s a collection point approved by the DEC,” he said.
Lemcke said it is still unclear what caused the initial positive test result. “It was a serious situation and the fact that it came back clean is good, but it doesn’t alter the fact that we did have the boil notice and we are going to work hard to find out why that happened.”
Lemcke acknowledged the boil notice was an inconvenience for many people and businesses, including restaurants that closed or limited their services because of the restriction.
“We assumed the worst case right off the bat. What else could you do?” Lemcke said.