Nitrates taint Goessel water
Staff writer
Goessel residents warned not to let infants and pregnant women drink nitrate-laced tap water is waiting a repeat test before its water supply is cleared.
A test last week indicated nitrate levels 10% above a federal standard, resulting in a warning not to give tap water to infants younger than 6 months or pregnant women or to use it to make infant formula.
The sample measured nitrate at 11 milligrams per liter, according to the notice the city distributed. The notice said the city expected to notify residents within 30 days of retesting.
Bottled water is available at the city office for those who meet stated criteria, city clerk Jennifer Bliss said. This includes nursing mothers with infants younger than 6 months.
“We are waiting on a confirmation sample to make sure that the sample that was taken wasn’t a fluke and there wasn’t a mistake in the testing,” Bliss said.
Boiling water does not make it safe as boiling tends to concentrate nitrates.
The city has not identified a source for the elevated nitrate level, public works director Alex Goossen said.
Possible causes listed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment include agricultural use, industrial use, and natural factors that can increase nitrate levels in groundwater.
Goessel pumps its own groundwater from three wells, Bliss said. KDHE has not required the city to adjust pumping patterns or begin blending water with another source.
If retesting reveals continuing problems, possibilities include buying water from a rural water district for blending or continuing to provide bottled water or filtration for at-need residents, Goosen said.
Notices were sent by mail to everyone who receives a city water bill and were also posted online. Schools and a nursing home also received notification.
The city’s notice said adults and children older than 6 months can drink the tap water, though people with specific health concerns may wish to consult a physician.