CITY OF FAIRVIEW CLARIFIES BOIL ORDER NOTICE TIMELINE

Fairview City Manager Robert Laverty stands by the actions of Fairview’s Public Works Department and Director BJ West response to recent Boil Order issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Equality, (DEQ). Wednesday, June 24th, on required routine monthly testing of three residential samples – sites set by DEQ – were taken and put on ice and delivered the following day, Thursday, to Accurate Environmental Laboratories in Stillwater, an accredited DEQ testing laboratory, that the city has routinely used over the years. Typically, when collected samples are tested, the lab will incubate the samples over a 24 hour period. Naturally, this means results from any samples delivered to the lab will not be known for at least 24 hours, due to the incubation and testing time. Friday, June 26, Public Works Director, BJ West, followed DEQ requirements and sampled possible suspected sources that yielded the positive cases, this case being Well #3 and Well #5. Just after 8 p.m. Saturday, June 27, West was notified by DEQ that more tests were needed as Total Coliform and E coli were present in Well #3. However, at that point, the City of Fairview had not yet been notified that a Boil Order was needed, just that new samples were needed. ”Typically some issues that could lead to tests showing signs for E coli or Total Coliform are a break in a line, not following sampling procedure or past positive readings, however; none of those issues were present at the time the samples were taken, and why the samples came back positive is still unknown,” said Laverty. In compliance with DEQ orders, West collected additional water samples from different sources Saturday, June 27, all of which were raw samples, meaning they were collected from a point before chlorination had been introduced to the water supply. On top of those samples, West also came into town and took samples from three locations within city limits as well, in an effort to better pinpoint any possible contamination. The following day, Sunday June 28th, DEQ notified Public Works Supervisor West that a mandatory boil order was needed, but it is worth noting that samples delivered to the lab were still in the incubation process, with those results still pending. Utilizing passed DEQ communications Laverty crafted his first letter of notice that he posted on Social Media shortly after noon on Sunday. Additionally, through a second letter Laverty notified the citizens of Fairview through social media channels, the Code Red messaging systems and through flyers hand delivered to restaurants, gas stations, day cares and health care facilities of the boil order notice. Monday, June 29, DEQ sent official notice to boil to the city, along with step-by-step guide of procedures, a well worded and crafted letter notice to the public to post on Social Media, along with recommended places to post for public notice. Later that same day, the City of Fairview was notified the samples delivered Sunday, June 28, did in fact come back negative for E coli and Total Coliform. Under DEQ requirements, in order for the Boil Order notice to officially be lifted, negative samples are required over a true 48 hour period, meaning if samples are taken at 8 a.m. one day, they must also be taken as close to 8 a.m. for a 48 hour period, not just two samples taken over two calendar days. Tuesday, June 30, DEQ technician sampled three locations, two in the 600 block of North Eighth and one in the 800 block of North Eighth. July 1, the samples taken by DEQ also came back negative, but in compliance with the 48 hour testing rules, DEQ again took additional samples July 1. On July 2, those samples again came back negative, at which time DEQ officially allowed the Boil Order notice to be lifted. Also, Laverty hired Oklahoma Rural Water Association, (ORWA), for independent third party sampling. They used their own water sampling kit and took samples to Accurate Environmental Laboratories Oklahoma City location. All samples from City of Fairview, DEQ and the ORWA come back negative throughout the 48 hour window. The following day, Thursday, July 2, DEQ notified Laverty the boil order is suspended.