7.8.04
North Platte says its water is safe, clean
Omaha World-Herald
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) - City officials defended North Platte's water system Tuesday, despite two findings of bacteria last month.
Water taken from northwestern North Platte tested positive for coliform bacteria twice in June. Such bacteria don't cause disease but are often accompanied by disease-causing organisms, such as fecal coliforms or E. coli.
In both cases, city workers retested the areas the following week, along with eight routine samplings covering a cross section of North Platte, with no findings of coliforms or harmful microorganisms.
Despite the clean bill of health, the findings violated North Platte's limit of one coliform finding per month, and the city must alert all water customers to any water quality violations. All customers will receive a public notice explaining the violation with this month's utility bill.
"This is not an emergency," the notice reads, noting that coliform bacteria are not disease causing.
"We don't want people to go out and spend 10 or 20 times the money for bottled water, when they can have fresh water from the tap," said Leroy Kramer, the city water specialist.