ANDREWS, Texas — The City of Andrews is warning the public that one of its 16 water wells supplying water to the city recently tested positive for E. coli bacteria.
In a press release sent out Tuesday, the city said the well, located 12 miles north of town, tested positive on May 23.
The well was taken offline immediately and the city says it will not be returned to the system until a certified laboratory clears it to do so.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires all raw and untreated groundwater to be tested for the bacteria before being distributed to the public.
The City of Andrews said that when the water tested positive they took dozens of samples from city-treated water and none of them showed resultes of the bacteria.
Because of this and the effectiveness of the treatment plant, the city says the drinking water is safe to drink.
The city anticipates the situation being resolved within 48 hours, meaning no later than 5 p.m. on May 28.
While the water should still be safe to drink, the city is required by the TCEQ to notify the media and the public.
E. coli bacteria can pose a particular health risk for young children and infants as well as some elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
Short-term health effects one might experience if those microbes are ingested include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches and more.
While these symptoms can be caused by other things besides E. coli, if you experience these symptoms and they continue for some time, you might need to seek medical advice.
General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
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