FRANKLIN, La. ( KLFY ) — The city of Franklin said its water system is in violation of drinking water requirements but actions have and are being taken to correct the issue.
According to a news release, the Franklin Water System violated the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) from July 1 through the end of August.
The city said it is required to monitor drinking water for turbidity, how cloudy or hazy a liquid is, every 15 minutes and report those results to the Louisiana Department of Health. This is to ensure that water is being effectively filtered.
“The violation occurred because the treated water turbidity was not monitored continuously (every 15 minutes) as required and the turbidity exceedances were not reported to LDH,” the city said.
The city said that LDH found that the treated water turbidity level exceeded the maximum allowable limit multiple times during the July-August period, among other findings.
What should I do?
Based on the violations, the city said that the boil advisory that was issued on Aug. 19 will remain in place until the water system complies with SWTR requirements.
If you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor. If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your healthcare providers about drinking this water.
General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
What does this mean?
Tests taken during the timeframe of the violations did not indicate the presence of bacteria in the water.
The city said turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth.
“Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches,” the city said.
“These symptoms, however, are not just associated with disease-causing organisms in drinking water, but also may be caused by a number of factors other than your drinking water,” the city continued.
Filtering and disinfecting the water removes or destroys microbiological contaminants. Drinking water that is treated to meet EPA and LDH requirements is associated with little to none of this risk and should be considered safe, the city said.
What is being done?
The city said that, as of Aug. 26, the water system turbidity monitoring equipment has been recording turbidity data on a continuous basis (every 15 minutes) and being reported to LDH and a local engineering firm.
For more information, please contact Mayor Eugene Foulcard at PO Box 567, Franklin, LA 70538.
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