Q&A 

Were we drinking water with E. Coli in it?
We have no reason to believe that you were drinking water with E. Coli in it. The sample that contained E. Coli was the raw water in the well. We chlorinate that water before providing it to you. Our distribution system sample (water after treatment) contained no coliform bacteria.

Is the water safe to drink?
We believe it is. Our distribution system sampling has not detected coliform bacteria, and we have consistent chlorination of the well water.

What are you doing to assure we are safe?
We believe you have always been safe. The Virginia Department of Health states that the we may continue to use the well water so long as a minimum of 0.6 mg/L chlorine residual is maintained in the water from the well in which the bacteria was detected and a minimum of 0.2 mg/L is maintained in the distribution system. We are targeting 1 mg/L.

What else are you doing?
Sometimes wells require periodic disinfection. We perform this disinfection process and then collect a series of samples during the next six months to determine if any further treatment than chlorination may be necessary. 

The letter is confusing. Should we be concerned or not?
The letter is a form letter issued by the Virginia Department of Health that only allows little modification. As your public water provider we take our mission quite seriously. We believe that public health protection has been maintained and have now taken additional steps to allow us to even more confidently say that.