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SARATOGA SPRINGS -- The city of Saratoga Springs has lifted an order to boil drinking water, which was put into place upon the discovery of a bacterial outbreak.
But even though officials say the water is safe, more people are coming forward to say they are getting sick.
The Utah County Health Department has not yet discovered the source of a bacterial contamination in the water that made seven people sick. The boil order went into effect Thursday, and city officials said it affected 7,000 to 8,000 people.
But Saturday evening, health and city officials told residents they had flushed the system with chlorine and the water was safe to drink again.
We're now hearing a lot more people that were sickened by this. We want to go back and talk to them, see if we can establish a commonality.
–Lance Madigan
"We're confident that the water source at this point is clear," said Lance Madigan with the health department.
Still, some residents aren't so sure. KSL visited one of the affected subdivisions Sunday and got the feeling few people are ready to drink tap water.
Most are taking extra precaution until officials come up with a cause. Genifer Bacher is 9 months pregnant and got sick with campylobacter
"Basically you don't hold any food down," she said. "As soon as you eat, about 15 to 20 minutes later you're going to the bathroom."
Bacher is one of the many people who've tested positive for the bacteria. So far, seven cases are confirmed.
Still, many more are coming forward.
"We're now hearing a lot more people that were sickened by this," Madigan said. "We want to go back and talk to them, see if we can establish a commonality."
There was no common thread between the seven cases beyond the fact they all live in northern Saratoga Springs. That leads health officials to think it might be in the water.
However, they are still trying to pin down the exact source. One possibility is that water left in the pipes during the winter became stagnant and contaminated.
Madigan said, "Now that we're coming into spring and there's more water use, the water will flush out of those areas sometimes."
The Utah County Health Department said it felt confident in lifting the boiling order after receiving clear preliminary tests Saturday. They said they found no bacteria in the water.
But residents in the Harvest Hills neighborhood still have doubts.
"I do know that everyone still feels a little bit uneasy about the whole situation," said resident Jeff Kohler. "Why? And what exactly is going on up there?"
Many will still take precautions before they drink water from their taps.
"For me and the safety of my child and my family, for us, we'll probably still boil and stuff in the meantime for probably another week or so," Bacher said.
According to people in that same neighborhood, the local Smith's and Walmart are selling out of bottled water because people refuse to drink from the tap.
E-mail: ngonzales@ksl.com
