Officials said today the city of Poplar Bluff does not have cryptosporidium in its water and has never tested positive for the organism, which can cause a diarrheal disease.
A mistake made by the Butler County Health Department set off a string of concerned phone calls Monday to Municipal Utilities from residents, an urgent care facility and others.
The health department initially released a health advisory providing information "related to Cryptosporidium in the Poplar Bluff Municipal Water System."
Later the same day an amendment was issued offering a clarification and apologies to the water system and community partners.
"We poorly worded it (the advisory) and gave the impression we were reporting active findings, which was not correct," health department administrator Robert Hudson said today.
A May letter sent to Poplar Bluff customers by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources should have been included with the initial advisory, Hudson said.
Customers received letters from DNR warning an additional treatment method for the removal of what is commonly called "crypto," had not been completed by October as required.
The city completed construction of an ultra-violet disinfection facility in April. Slow approval from DNR regarding the facility's construction plans caused the delay, the utility department has said.
The UV treatment operates in addition to existing pre and post chlorination disinfection.
Poplar Bluff drinking water is drawn from the Black River. Neither raw river water nor treated drinking water has tested positive for crypto, water department officials have said.
The city sends samples to the state, and the state determines which tests need to be done, said Bill Bach, Municipal Utilities director.
The health department's goal was to educate providers regarding the organism, said Hudson. Providers treat at risk populations, he said.
The county health department does not regulate the city water system, or do any tests of the system, he said.
This has made the health department aware of issues with the way it delivers information to the public, and it will work to improve its systems, Hudson said.