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This water, collected from a spring near A-Basin, may cause illness in some people, according to Summit County health officials.
Health officials recommend treating the water before drinking
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — Local officials say the popular drinking water well on national forest lands along Highway 6, between Keystone and Arapahoe Basin is contaminated. The spring, near mile marker 218, is a routine stop for many skiers on their way to and from A-Basin, helping to quench the thirst worked up by a long day of skiing bumps on Pali.
The health department has been testing the well since 1997. For the first time, recent sampling found bacteria that can cause illness, including diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In some susceptible people, the illness can become more serious.
Assistant county manager Scott Vargo, who issued the press release, said he wasn’t sure if the water was contaminated with Giardia lamblia, a single-celled parasite that causes giardia, colloquially known as beaver fever because it’s often spread by small mammals — and by humans.
Health department officials were not available to answer more questions about the sampling.
According to the county, officials investigated the source of contamination for the spring and observed that erosion and weathering have deteriorated the condition of the spring’s collection system. Current conditions allow surface water and surface contaminants to easily enter the spring.
Spring water naturally rises from the ground water aquifer. If it can be collected and delivered in a closed system, the water is frequently safe to drink.
Vargo said the spring is on national forest lands and any responsibility for repair would fall to the Forest Service.
Summit County Environmental Health officials recommend treating the spring water prior to consuming, similar to what you might do prior to drinking water from a creek. Recommended treatment methods include filtering, boiling or disinfecting. Details on treatment techniques can be found on the Centers for Disease Control website http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/water-treatment.aspx
For additional information please contact the Summit County Environmental Health Dept. at (970) 668-4070.
Filed under: Summit County Colorado Tagged: | A-Basin, drinking water, Highway 6, Keystone, Summit County Colorado, Summit County News, water, water quality
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My wife & I have been drinking from Porcupine spring for 4 years now. We fill up a 6 gal. tank every week. When will it be safe to drink without purification?
Hi, we do the same. I will follow up with the health department and the U.S. Forest Service to try and get more info. It would be up to the FS to do any needed repairs, and I can’t imagine it’s a high priority for them. This sounds like a perfect volunteer project for some locals who enjoy that source of water.
[...] Contamination found at roadside spring near Keystone [...]