ALAMOSA, Colo.—New test results show Alamosa’s tap water was tainted with two parasites as well as salmonella, but a chlorine flush of the system probably killed all three types of contamination, officials said this week.
Tests completed Wednesday on water samples taken before the chlorine flush began found traces of the giardia and cryptosporidium parasites, state health officials said.
Alamosa City Clerk Judy Egbert said the high concentration of chlorine sent through the city’s 50 miles of pipeline starting March 25 to flush out the salmonella should have been enough to kill the parasites.
Further tests are planned, but officials have said residents of this southern Colorado city of 8,500 could be able to drink tap water again on Saturday for the first time in nearly three weeks.
Giardia and cryptosporidium can cause diarrhea. Like salmonella, they are common in the environment, officials said.
It was unclear how long the parasites had been in the water, but they have not been linked to any reported illnesses.
More than 340 salmonella cases have been reported since the first case surfaced on March 7, and more than a dozen people have been hospitalized.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach pain. Victims typically recover on their own, though infants, the elderly and those with impaired immune systems may require treatment.
It is usually a food-borne disease and contamination of public water systems is rare.
Residents were told to stop drinking tap water on March 19, and health officials later confirmed the presence of salmonella.
Officials aren’t sure how salmonella got into the water but say a cracked pipe could be to blame.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
