CITY UTILITIES CONDUCTING REGULAR WATER TESTS

The City of Andalusia Utilities Board’s Water and Sewer Department has begun contacting customers from whom they are requesting water samples as part of testing required by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).

Tim Glisson, director of operations for that department, said ADEM requires the testing every three years. The water sample plan includes 60 residences – 30 primary sites and 30 alternate sites – based on ADEM’s criteria. The environmental agency considers the year the home was constructed and the type of plumbing installed, among other criteria. The samples will be tested for lead and copper.

“We have done our best to contact the residents of primary sites in advance,” Joey Raybon,
assistant operations manager, said. “We try to maintain the same residences for testing every three years, as recommended by ADEM. The majority of the participants are knowledgeable of the process, and we have a great group of participants.”

Employees of the Water and Sewer Department have begun contacting residents on the primary list to determine if they are still willing to participate.

“We go over the best time for the sample bottle to be delivered, sampling instructions, and when we will pick up the sample,” Raybon said.

The samples are sent to a third party lab for testing, and the results are sent to participating residents by certified letter, he said.

“This testing is part of our regular cycle of testing to comply with state and federal standards, and to ensure we are delivering safe drinking water to our many residents. We have a great group of participants, and we appreciate their cooperation,” Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson said. “Our drinking water is groundwater drawn from nine wells.”

Anyone with questions about the testing can contact the Water-Sewer Department of the City of Andalusia Utilities at 222-1332.