By NICK BUDD
Hays Post

At Thursday night’s Hays City Commission work session, Public Works Director Bernie Kitten informed commissioners the city received a violation for total coliform in the city’s water supply.

City staff collects a total of 20 water samples per month from the water supply for routine bacterial sampling. On Aug. 5, a test came back as positive for coliform. According to Kitten, coliform isn’t directly harmful, but could mean there may more dangerous contaminants in the water.

Kitten added no harmful bacteria was found after further testing.

As required by the state, once a city tests positive, it must submit three more tests. In the city’s second test from the same location, coliform again was found. After submitting a third sample, the city was cleared.

“If any of these tests would of came up with fecal coliform or E. coli, then we would’ve had a problem,” Kitten said. “We would’ve had to put out immediate notifications. So that’s why they’re not really excited about it when you first get one.”

According to Kitten, the city had to flush water lines throughout the city in 2001 in order to get rid of some bacteria. Approximately 35 other towns in Kansas have tested positive for coliform this year. The violation simply means that the city must make public notice of the issue and continue submitting samples until they come back negative. Kitten also mentioned that this should not be considered a health risk.