Consumer Alert: Contaminated Water

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has declared a state of emergency in the town of Alamosa, which gets its water from a deep aquifer. Aquifer water is normally so pure that it needs no chlorine disinfection. Unfortunately, for reasons as yet unknown, the aquifer water that supplies the town is giving its residents salmonella.

There are 138 people with confirmed or suspected cases of salmonella, said Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health. Seven people remain hospitalized. The ill range in age from infants to those over 80 years old, Calonge said.

East Alamosa gets its water from a different system, so its (apparently) safe.

In the meantime, if you're in that city, several businesses are providing bottled water for free, so look around. Do not drink, brush your teeth, or cook with the city water. If the cost of bottled water will put a dent in your budget and you can't find someone to supply it free, you might be eligible for reimbursement. Contact your city officials.

The Denver Channel has a detailed list of do's and dont's here, including telephone numbers you can call for more help.

In case anyone's forgotten, the NRDC has detailed information on how bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water &mdash with the exception, of course, of not generally having salmonella.

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