Town Administrator Says Hennessey Water Fine Now
Notices were mailed Wednesday to Hennessey residents warning of extremely high nitrate levels in the town's water supply based on routine testing Sept. 2. However Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman said Friday that a retest on Thursday showed nitrates now at safe levels.
"We got a notice on Wednesday that when we tested our water on Sept. 2, nitrates exceeded the maximum levels and we needed to send out a notice to all our customers," Tillman wrote in a Friday email to area media. "We also took a new water sample back to the lab yesterday afternoon for a rush test and got word this afternoon that the results are way below the limit so we are good to go now."
The maximum acceptable nitrate level is 10 parts per million and the town's water supply tested at 20 ppm on Sept. 2, but was back down to 5.7 ppm on Thursday's test results, Tillman said. According to the notice the town was required to distribute by the Department of Environmental Quality, "nitrate in drinking water can come from natural, industrial or agricultural sources (including septic systems and run-offI) and levels can vary throughout the year."
Nitrate levels in excess of the maximum acceptable level can be dangerous or even deadly to infants under six months of age, whose bodies are not able to process the chemical. Symptoms of nitrate poisoning include shortness of breath and so-called "blue baby syndrome," characterized by a blue tinge to the skin. Babies exhibiting any of these symptoms should receive immediate medical care.
When nitrate levels are high, tap water should not be given to babies in any form, including in the preparation of formula or juices. Boiling the water does not solve the problem as the nitrate only becomes more concentrated as water evaporates.
"All water that comes to town for the public water system is not filtered. It is blended with raw water," according to the notice. "History shows that between August and October, nitrate levels through the area rise. We have adjusted the blend and will be retesting this week."
According to Thursday's test results, reblending the water successfully lowered the nitrate content to safe drinking levels, Tillman said.