|
Superior Boil Water Order is Lifted
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) has lifted the boil water order issued January 3 stemming from the Marshall Fire. CDPHE coordinated with the Town of Superior to ensure their water treatment systems are working properly and the water reaching customers meets all state and federal water quality standards. CDPHE and both water systems collected water samples to test for multiple pollutants, including bacteria and volatile organic compounds (such as benzene). All water test results indicated that drinking water meets all drinking water standards and is safe for human consumption.
It Is Critical That Water Customers Flush Their Systems.
Superior water customers must flush their interior pipes before resuming regular use. During flushing some colored water may come out of your pipes.
For residential properties:
-
Flush the plumbing in your home by running all cold water faucets for at least five minutes each. Begin with the lowest faucet in your home and then open the other faucets one at a time, moving from the lowest floor to the highest. After five minutes, turn off your faucets in reverse order, from highest to lowest.
-
Flush all appliances connected to the water line, such as refrigerators and dishwashers. To flush your refrigerator, remove the filter and let the water run through it for five minutes. An easy way to flush your dishwasher is to run it twice without any dishes in it.
-
Disposable filters that have come in contact with contaminated water should be removed and replaced.
-
Ice from ice makers should be dumped and replaced three times. Ice maker containers should be wiped clean with a solution of two tablespoons bleach to one gallon of water.
Additional information for businesses, hospitals, health care facilities and nursing homes:
-
Make sure equipment with water line connections is flushed, cleaned, and sanitized according to manufacturers’ instructions.
-
Managers of large buildings with water-holding reservoirs should consult with their facility engineer and health department about draining the reservoir.
-
Flush pipes and faucets. Run cold water faucets continuously for at least 5 minutes.
-
Flush drinking fountains. Run water continuously for at least 5 minutes.
-
Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
-
Drain and refill hot water heaters set below 113°F.
-
Change all point-of-entry and point-of-use water filters, including those associated with equipment that uses water.
Superior is committed to providing safe water to our community. If you are adjacent to a fire affected area and have concerns about your water, or if your water smells like gasoline or plastic after completing flushing, please call Utilities Superintendent Jim Widner at (303) 499-3675 ext. 113 or jimw@superiorcolorado.gov and a representative of the Superior drinking water team will come and test the water coming to your property. Please visit this article for more information if you detect a smoky taste or odor from your water.
Firefighting Efforts Lead to Boil Water Order
During the unprecedented fire last week, Louisville and Superior's water systems experienced extreme demand from firefighting efforts. During the fire, Superior’s Water Treatment Plant lost power, so Louisville and Superior made the decision to connect their systems.
Despite the efforts to keep water pressure up for firefighting, the system continued to lose pressure as the fire damaged the system. One of the emergency measures taken to restore pressure to the system was to release untreated Marshall Reservoir water into the distribution systems.
A boil water order was issued after this emergency measure due to the possibility of pathogens and contaminants entering our water systems during firefighting efforts. Over the past few days, we have been flushing our systems and testing the water to ensure that it meets all state and federal water quality standards. All water test results indicated that the water meets all drinking water standards and is safe for human consumption.
Parts of the water distribution systems that were burned by the fire are sealed off from unaffected areas. Water providers continue to isolate areas of their systems to prevent contamination from going into uncontaminated areas of the distribution system. The systems plan to keep all properties in the fire-impacted areas isolated and without water service until additional recovery efforts are determined.
Sampling Efforts
To prepare to lift the boil water order after the Marshall Fire, Town of Superior staff worked closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) to determine water quality sampling locations and what to sample for. Any questions about those protocols and sampling can be directed to Utilities Superintendent Jim Widner at (303) 499-3675 ext. 113 or jimw@superiorcolorado.gov.
Where Does Superior's Water Come From?
The Town receives the majority of its raw, untreated water from snow melt in the Upper Colorado River Basin as part of Northern Water’s Big Thompson Project. The water travels through a series of pipelines, intermediate reservoirs and canals before finally making its way to our storage reservoir at the water treatment plant south of Original Town. Our raw water supply is stored before being treated for consumption at Terminal reservoir, next to the water treatment plant. Terminal reservoir can hold approximately 130 million gallons (about 400 acre feet) of water; on average, the Town treats about 2 million gallons per day. For an overview of where Superior’s water comes from, please visit this our website.
Learn More
CDPHE Water Quality Control Division
|
|
|
|
