E. coli false alarm

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The presence of E. coli and total coliform bacteria that was found in Jan. 12 water samples at Altura Elementary School and a nearby horse property was just a false alarm, city water officials say. 
A notice was sent by the city to about 3,300 homes in late January to clarify the issue and city officials say the water is safe to drink.
When the original tests were taken, aerators on the sinks were not removed and the faucets were not sanitized, which resulted in the presence of E. coli and total coliform in the samples.
But the presence of those contaminants triggered a violation of state drinking water standards, which prompted the city's water officials to test additional samples within 24 hours after changing the aerators and cleaning the faucets and to send out a notice.
When more than 200 follow-up samples were taken there and at several other locations, none of them indicated the presence of total coliform or E. coli.
"We are confident that this was an isolated sampling error and our water continues meet or exceed state and federal standards," said Greg Baker, spokesman for Aurora Water.
People who live or work at or near the elementary school and horse property do not have to take any precautions, city officials say. Boiling your water or refraining from drinking tap water is NOT necessary.
"We take our mission to provide clean, high quality water to Aurora very seriously," Baker said. "We are reviewing our sampling protocols, including training and verification to ensure this doesn't happen again. We made a mistake and will correct this mistake."

What's the problem with E. coli and total coliform?
Total coliform is a bacteria that is naturally present in the environment and is generally not harmful but could indicate the presence of other potentially harmful bacteria. E. coli indicates the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.

If you experience any illness that you believe may be related to your drinking water, the city encourages you to contact Aurora Water’s customer service department at 303-326-8645.