JACKSON OFFICIALS DECLARE WATER SAFE TO DRINK AFTER CONTAMINATION CLEARED

JACKSON -- After flushing more than 1 million gallons of water through the city's water lines to rid the water supply of a petroleum-based contaminate, public works officials declared Jackson's water supply safe to drink late Tuesday.

But despite the positive results obtained from tests taken late Tuesday, Jackson Public Works Director Mark Brown said city personnel will continue to test water through the night and into today to ensure its safety.

"The integrity of the city's water system is our number one objective," said Brown. "Although late test results showed no signs of contamination, we will continue to test the water supply until we feel completely confident the threat is gone."

Early Tuesday, about 75 calls were received from residents complaining about a petroleum-like odor in their tap water, Brown said. The odor was described as that of gasoline, kerosene or diesel fuel.

Although the threat of citywide contamination has passed, authorities in Jackson are still trying to determine how a small quantity of a petroleum-based product got into the city's water supply at the water treatment plant, Brown said. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources was called in to assist in the investigation.

"As soon as we started receiving the telephone calls on Tuesday morning, we immediately began checking the water treatment plant," Brown said. "We also took water samples in different parts of town where the complaints had come from."

"While the positive sample was rated at slightly above the `negligible' level, it was still enough to raise concerns," he said.

There is no boil-water order in effect for the city of Jackson, but Brown recommended that residents flush water through every faucet in their house for five or 10 minutes, to ensure that none of the contaminated water is trapped in water lines inside the home.

The hydrant flushing may cause tap water to take on a cloudy or discolored appearance for a while, but the water is safe to drink, he said.

Because the source of the contamination looked to be the water treatment plant itself, Brown ordered an investigation into the internal procedures and security at the facility.

"We are looking at our operating procedures, our equipment, our fuel storage tanks, and our vehicle refueling procedures," he said. "We suspect that somewhere, there was a small spill of some type of a petroleum-based product that wound up in the water supply.

"Until we are able to determine exactly what happened, we are considering all possibilities," he said.

If anyone has a question about or detects an odor in their water, contact the public works office at 243-3568.

"We will continue to monitor the situation until every home has good water," said Brown.