An unregulated water source for many Mud Bay and Haines Borough residents has tested positive for E. coli and a state drinking water specialist has advised residents to stop drinking the water unless they boil it.

KHNS reporter Abbey Collins investigated the water source after the public radio station sponsored a listener question program. KHNS solicited questions from Haines residents curious about local issues or the history of town.

Leigh Horner asked whether the water source near Letnikof Cove was a spring or just runoff.

“That gave us the idea to get the water tested,” Collins said. “The lab called me on Friday afternoon to give us a heads up that they had results and there was a presence of E. coli. That lab doesn’t test for specific strains. It just tests for whether or not it’s present.”

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation drinking water program manager Cindy Christian said E. coli, a type of coliform bacteria, are what’s known as “indicator bacteria.” Its presence indicates there could be other pathogens or disease-causing organisms in drinking water.

“There are lots of different strains (of E. coli) and a percentage of those can be pathogenic but we use those as indicator bacteria in regulated drinking water,” Christian said. “That spring is not regulated in any way. In regulated drinking water the maximum contaminant level is zero. It is not supposed to be there at all.”

Christian said she’s not surprised the water tested positive for coliforms.

“In cases such as this where it appears it’s just a pipe or two sticking in the side of a hill it’s most likely to be positive because it’s just draining surface water. Surface water is likely to be contaminated with coliform. I would advise (residents) to find another source of water for drinking and if they can’t do that then boiling the water for two minutes before drinking it.”

Deborah Marshall has been drinking water from those pipes in the hill of Mud Bay for 32 years.

“Now I’m staring at all these buckets of water thinking do I have to boil these?” Marshall asked. “For now I’m going to boil that water that I drink from the spring and I am going to encourage the city to take responsibility for testing it. The city has a vested interest in the health of its citizens.”

Sharon Svenson said she and her husband John have been drinking the water since they moved to Mud Bay in 1980.

“Our immune systems must be very strong,’ Sharon Svenson joked. “We just got water yesterday and I drank it this morning. I’m okay. It would be nice if they could test it more.”

Haines Borough Manager Debra Schnabel said the borough has no plans to test the water at this point.

“We have no intentions of testing the water because it’s not part of our system and we don’t encourage anybody to use it,” Schnabel said. “We have a good supply of water and people can come buy our water.”

The borough sells potable water at its sewer treatment plant but residents must sign up for an account at the borough administration building first.

Rob Goldberg plans to keep drinking the water he’s been using more than half his life.

“I just brought home two jugs full of it,” Goldberg said. “I’ve been drinking it for over 40 years it’s never made me sick. I suspect whatever was in there has just flushed itself out but I’m not a very germaphobic person.”

Mayor Jan Hill has been drinking the water most of her life and she shares Goldberg’s opinion.

“I filled my jug last night on my way home,” Hill said. “I know E. coli is serious but it could just be moose poop.”

Hill shed some light on the original mystery that triggered the water’s testing.

“It’s not just a spring, it’s also a stream, I think, and the water runs through and filters its way through rocks,” Hill said.

Collins plans to hike the hill to locate the water’s source.

The local SEARHC clinic did not reply to questions regarding individuals being treated for cases of E. coli infection.

E. coli cannot be filtered, Christian said.