It’s safe to again drink tap water in Alamosa, Colorado.
The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment officially lifted the “boil water” order at 2:30 pm, Friday, April 11, 2008. It was in effect for 23 days.
The water will not taste the same as it is now treated with chlorine.
The order was lifted after tests confirmed no salmonella in the water plus there was no longer any giardia or cryptosporidium either.
The state’s rescission order did not come without strings attached. Specifically, Alamosa is required to remove its Ross Tower from service and complete sanitary repairs. It must remove debris from the tank before putting the tower back in service. The City must submit plans and schedule for both the Craft and Ross towers by April 17th.
The state’s letter with its conditions and the history of the work already done can be found here.
State and city officials have won special loans for businesses in the town of 8,500 that lost money during the three week emergency. No one, however, has said anything about helping the 389 people made sick by the tainted water system. Sixteen of those people, mostly children, required hospitalization. There have been at least 107 culture confirmed cases of salmonella.