chappell - Bushnell isn’t the only Panhandle town with water troubles. A public notice was handed out to Chappell residents this week informing them that coliforms have been found in the water supply.

But Chappell residents don’t have to worry, there’s no need to boil water or take extreme measures. The city is already on top of it.

According to Chappell city offices, the public water supply system is in violation of the drinking water microbiological standards. The violation consists of four coliform samples testing positive during the month of August. The standard is no more than one sample per month may test positive for total coliforms.

Coliforms are a sign that there could be a problem with Chappell’s treatment or distribution system pipes, the notice says. When coliform bacteria are detected in any sample, the city does follow-up testing to see if other, more dangerous bacteria such as fecal coliform or E-coli are present. According to Michael Ward, a city employee, neither bacteria was present in the samples.

The city of Chappell public water supply system is continuing to test and is working with the drinking water program to identify the source of the problem. The city began chlorinating the water Thursday as a precautionary measure.

Coliform bacteria are generally not harmful. They are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other potentially harmful bacteria may be present. This is why residents do not have to boil the water to drink it, but city officials warn it might not be safe for fish.

City officials said the system has been flushed once and safety measures should be completed by next week.

For additional information on the problem, contact city offices at 308-874-2401.

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