SAFE

An assessment team from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality lifted the boil order on Kingfisher water Tuesday.

“The water is now safe for human consumption.” DEQ said in a statement issued at 2:47 p.m. Tuesday.

Well No. 12, one of the 13 wells from which the city was drawing water for treatment and distribution to 2,800 customers, remains off line until further notice while Water Supt. Jeremiah Homier completes a sanitation procedure prescribed by DEQ, City Manager Dave Slezickey said.

E. coli bacteria was found in a sample drawn from the well June 21, which prompted the DEQ boil order issued the next day.

While flooding is suspected as a possible culprit in the contamination, Slezickey said DEQ has reached “no conclusion on the cause or source.”

The boil order, which lasted a little over 72 hours, depleted bottled water supplies in local stores and disrupted local restaurants, several of which closed completely, while others served bottled beverages only and used bottled water to prepare food.

Convenience stores also were unable to dispense fountain drinks or ice.

DEQ will retest the contaminated well in a week or so to determine if the enhanced sanitation measures were effective in eliminating the bacteria, Slezickey said. Until then, it will remain off line.