Officials to test Riverview wells

Inspectors are searching for bacteria found in at least 57 wells. Health officials say a sinkhole under Lake Grady may have let waste seep into the groundwater.

By JOE HUMPHREY

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 8, 2000

TAMPA -- Health inspectors plan to randomly check water wells in Riverview, in search of bacteria that has seeped into at least 57 wells near Lake Grady.

The Hillsborough County Health Department will begin checks today, environmental manager Cindy Morris said.

"Hopefully, we won't see an increase in the contamination," she said.

In the interim, residents concerned about the safety of their water should boil it before use or stick with bottled water. The county also installed spigots on a fire hydrant more than a mile away from the infected area. Residents must bring their own containers to the hydrant, located at Deepbrook Drive near the entrance to the Boyette Springs subdivision.

Last week, the health department tested 77 wells between Boyette Road on the north, Lake Grady to the south, Silver Fox Lane to the east and Hidden Valley Lane to the west.

Coliform was found in 57 wells. The bacteria can cause minor ailments such as vomiting, diarrhea, eye and ear infections or more serious illnesses such as hepatitis.

It's possible, though still undetermined, that a sinkhole in the southeast portion of Lake Grady allowed waste to infect the groundwater. Back in the 1970s, Morris said, a sinkhole in the lake caused a similar lapse in water quality.

Septic tanks and nearby sod and dairy farms also could have led to the contamination.

Beginning today, inspectors will take samples from wells on all sides of the infected area to determine if the bacteria has spread. Results of those tests should be available by Thursday, Morris said.

The county is also contemplating extending a water line to Riverview, a project that would probably take 60 days to complete, according to water department spokesman John Fischer.

"County water is probably a long-term solution to the area," Morris said.

The health department is also encouraging residents to test their wells yearly.

"We'd be happy to send them a list of laboratories," Morris said. The Environmental Health Unit of the department can be reached at (813) 307-8001.

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