Follow-up investigation and reporting is needed on this issue, by both the city and this paper (good luck on both of those!).

This was a costly mistake for everyone involved, and some businesses (restaurants) closed or lost money while others (Woodman's, which was responsive to getting more water on the way should it have been needed) made money.

Needless to stay, a costly apparent mistake that needs real resolution so that it is not repeated again. At least many of us have cases of bottled water in stock for next time!

Don't blame bad food on this. Like you people never had the runs before.
Now you have someone to blame. Give it a break. You probably had a bad burrito.

About that cryptosporidium outbreak -- I lived in Racine when that happened and it was not pretty. That's one thing you do not want in your water! As for symptoms of contamination in the water I'm sure people had mild symptoms and just didn't report them. I had experienced some symptoms and I live in the area that they said it was in and I didn't report it. I got over it by the next day.

I remember learning in college microbiology that if one has "stomach flu" symptoms more than once or twice yearly, that person more than likely has food poisoning. The professor teaching that class also refused to eat at buffets where customers had to reach over serving dishes, etc.

So noone pooped in the well or forgot to wash their hands then?

The "wacky response" was mandated by law. And since stomach bugs are pretty common, proving that it was a result of contamination which was not corroborated by multiple tests seems ... a stretch.

I for one can say the water was contaminated! I was so sick, and because as a child i was told "drink plenty of water or you'll get dehydrated" so i drank and would be violently ill 4 hours later for 2 days....
I did not seek medical attention, and who would for a stomach bug? So I think most adults just take care of them selves, besides could I afford $200 to go to the Dr. to have them tell me I have a stomach flu? Kind of a wacky response from the Health Dept. Either way, I am glad it's all cleaned up now.

Oh. Ew.

Who ever did the testing should have washed their hands after going to the bathroom!

For those that are indicating this has to do with a new water tower - I hope you are also voicing your opinion to the Council. 7.1 Mill is a lot of money - especially in this economy. A water tower wouldn't have prevented this from happening - actually, there are other issues related to water towers - http://www.cryptosporidiumblog.com/2009/...

Seeing how the city uses underhanded tactics to get what they want, I can't help but wonder, as many of you have, if this was yet another attempt to manipulate us into thinking we need a water tower. My question is would a new water tower have somehow prevented a contamination? If not, then why was the water tower issue brought up in one of the first articles about boiling water?

I guess the problem is if you lived in the area (as I had) we were already drinking the water prior to the boil order. So if we were going to get sick, too late.

Here comes more debate about wether there should be a water tower or not! I think it was a ploy from the pro-tower folks!;)

Interesting! Lots of my coworkers and other friends had diahhrea right around the time of the city's announcement. Many people take anti-diahhrea medicine without calling their physicians so they wouldn't be included in the statistics. I think the city did the right thing and announced the probable contamination.

I would rather be inconvenienced by having to buy bottled water and soda or by having to boil pots of water than risk the chance of getting sick from contaminated water. To say the city should have waited is ridiculous because if they had waited and the second test came back as contaminated, everyone would be saying why didn't you tell us sooner. It just proves that you can never please everyone.

what about all the businesses that loss money because of this? Some restaurants closed, others had to buy soda and bottled water. This is ridiculous. They shouldn't have done anything until a 2nd test was contaminated.
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IMO

a false alarm is not a city doing a good job, especially if you are the one that had to boil water needlessly. or maybe not. i could be wrong. but i don't fear being wrong.

Better safe than sorry!

This bring to light that the city crews are doing a fine job at maintaining the water and sewer lines.

Probably just the sample was contaminated. Mistakes happen.

What? The sky isn't falling?

Ok who pooped in the well?