For immediate release: October 5, 2007                                                       (07-171)

 Contact:  Carolyn Cox, Communications Office 360-236-3162 or 360-507-6108 cell
                Tim Church, Communications Director 360-236-4077 or 360-534-0068, pgr.
                Jeff Johnson, Spanaway Water Co. 253-875-5230 or 253-531-9024
 

 Boil water advisory ends in Spanaway; water is safe to drink

 OLYMPIA ¾ A boil water advisory that affected 20,000 Spanaway residents was lifted late this evening. A series of lab tests has confirmed that the water is safe to drink.

The precautionary health advisory was issued Wednesday night because E. coli was detected in two routine water samples and total coliform bacteria were found in a third sample.

Spanaway Water Co. took dozens of samples throughout the water distribution system and at the 10 schools affected by the boil water advisory. The results show that the water is free of coliform bacteria.

"The Department of Health endorses the thorough, cautious approach that Spanaway Water is taking in investigating and analyzing water quality," said Gregg Grunenfelder, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Health’s Environmental Health Division. "They’re taking no chances with the health of their customers, and that’s exactly the response we hope to see from water systems."

The company has not yet established a definitive source of the contamination that was reported in the first set of samples collected on Tuesday. The Department of Health will continue to support the utility in its investigation.

Utility customers who have questions may call the company at a special information line, 253-875-5223.

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