GVK Water

Residents of the village, including the Gilford Village Knolls I and II senior housing complexes, have been advised not to drink or consume the water from the tap.

Norm Harris of Gilford Well Company, which operates the community water system serving some 60 customers, said that "we have an issue with sediment in the storage tank and water pipes."

Earlier this month, Kirk Dougal, a resident of Gilford Village Knolls II,sent a sample of his water to the Laconia Water Works for testing. The test found coliform bacteria and concluded the tester concluded "this does not appear safe for human consumption."

Harris dismissed the results of the test, explaining that since late in July, when residents were first advised of the problem with sediment, repeated tests, including five in the past seven days, have found no bacteria in the water.

Harris said that tests yielding false positive results for bacteria were not unusual, especially if the water sample was not taken by a professional. "It is very easy to contaminate a sample," he said. "The container could be contaminated or you can just touch the rime with your finger." On the other hand, Harris said "it is impossible to get a false negative, or clean, result. If the water is clean, you can't do anything to make it cleaner."

Harris said that the sediment problem was exacerbated by high water usage on Old Home Day. "The high flow rate disturbed the sediment in the storage tank, which then got into the pipes." He said that the storage tank has been taken off-line to be thoroughly cleaned, a process he expected would be complete within seven days.

In the meantime, Harris said that "we have recommended that residents not drink or consume the water, but they can use it for everything else." He emphasized that as a community water system, the system is regulated by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) and that the water is tested on a monthly basis. "We

have been operating this system for 20 years and never had an extended bacteria problem," Harris said.