PUEBLO WEST, Colo. – Kevin Kirkpatrick watches as a murky sample of Hot Sulphur Springs water runs through the instruments in the Colorado Rural Water Association’s, Mobile Training Unit. Kirkpatrick and other association specialists have been working with the water system operators to reduce the turbidity in Colorado town’s drinking water, a condition that led to an extended boil order for the community.
            The MTU is designed to provide on-site training for water system operators, but its special equipment and tools are also a benefit during an emergency.
            “We got the MTU for training, but we’ve been using it more to put out fires,” said Rich Hayes, executive director of the Colorado Rural Water Association.
            The same MTU that tested the water at Hot Sulphur Springs was used as a command center during an outbreak of salmonella in Alamosa Colo. in March. The problems in Hot Sulphur Springs weren’t caused by bacteria, but by runoff. Runoff from melting snow packs wash sediment into rivers and streams, which can enter drinking water systems if not properly treated. The haziness caused by the floating particles is called turbidity, and has a regulated limit in drinking water.
            The runoff issues in Hot Sulphur Springs were complicated by the recent retirement of their long-time system operator. Rural water set up an appointment to assist the community once they heard a boil order was issued.
            “We’ve been working with them for about three weeks,” Hayes said. “We ran the water through several tests then put it through our pilot filter.”
            Hayes explained that the MTU had equipment to conduct jar testing and lab tests, and also contained ph meters, test filters and turbidity meters. The equipment allowed Kirkpatrick and Hayes to test several chemical mixtures designed to bond with the floating particles and remove them from the water. “We got a few results from the tests that we thought would work, but you’re never sure the chemical mix will have the same results with the filter,” Hayes explained.
            The team ran the water and chemical mix through the MTU’s pilot filter, a filter that contains the same components as full-scale filters. It gave the rural water technicians a chance to test how the potential solutions would work in the larger system.
            “It works pretty slick,” Hayes said.
            Hot Sulphur Springs had some of the needed chemicals on hand, but would have to order more to fully-implement the plan.
            “We’re waiting for an update,” Kirkpatrick said. “We’ll follow-up when the chemicals come in.”
            Until the appropriate chemicals arrive, the CRWA is providing advice over the phone to help improve the situation.
            They’re also working with the state to identify water systems which may be in a similar circumstance, so that the problems can be solved before communities are forced to go under a boil order.

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