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NIBLEY, Cache Co. — Residents were ordered not to drink, cook with or bathe in culinary water for at least 48 hours Wednesday afternoon after diesel fuel was discovered in the city spring, city officials said.
Boiling the water will not help in this situation, according to David Zook, city manager.
The city received a call from a resident regarding the situation at about 2 p.m. The Public Works Department then investigated the situation and isolated what the city believes to be the source of the contamination at the spring by 3 p.m., according to Mayor Shaun Dustin.
Zook said they believe the source of the contamination to be a spill coming from a vehicle on the ground near the city spring, but the vehicle is no longer there.
Dustin said there is something in the water that probably involves a "volatile organic compound."
The city has turned on its other wells and is trying to "back flush the system to push that back towards the source so that it can be eliminated from the lines," Dustin said.
All Nibley residents may not use the water until it is cleaned up. Using the water could cause health issues if it is digested or absorbed in skin, Dustin said.
Residents are allowed to use their toilets, but should not wash their hands with the city's culinary water, according to the city Facebook page.
The State Department of Emergency Management is urging everyone to make water a part of their emergency preparedness plan.
They recommend you store one gallon of water per person for three days.
Fliers were placed on residents' doors suggesting they prepare for up to 48 hours with no water.
Jill Parker, spokeswoman for the Bear River Health Department, said the department has conducted tests and residents will not get sick from a single drink because there isn't enough diesel in the water. Residents would only see negative side affects after consuming quite a bit of water.
The health department is conducting more extensive tests, Parker said.
"We just appreciate everybody being patient and we've got some great crews and some great people, they're doing their best," Dustin said. "In the mean time, just please pay attention to the news that's coming out of the city, pay attention to the recommendations that are given, please don't drink it, please don't wash with it, don't use it, and we'll take care of it as quickly as we can."
The city asks residents to share the information with their neighbors.
According to the Nibley City Website, several surrounding cities "have made water taps available for Nibley residents to fill water containers."
The addresses of those locations are:
- Logan City BlackHawk Park West side: 250 W. Legrand St., Logan City
- Behind Pallets of Utah: 1750 S. 400 West, Logan
- Comfort Inn: 2002 S. Highway 89/91
- Providence City Zollinger Park (three taps available): 200 W. 50 North, Providence
- Hyrum City Senior Center (three taps available out front, by the garage and by the tennis court): 675 E. Main Street, Hyrum
- Millville City Hall (two frost hydrants): 510 E. 300 South, Millville
According to the city website, residents will be able to shower at the Logan Community Center located in Logan High School at 95 S. 100 West. Residents need to tell the front desk they are from Nibley and they will be allowed to use the facilities.
Please don't drink it, please don't wash with it, don't use it, and we'll take care of it as quickly as we can.
–Nibley Mayor Shaun Dustin
Cache County School District reported Heritage and Nibley elementary schools would be closed Thursday due to the situation. Parents were alerted, the assistant superintendent Craig Ashton said.
The schools will be closed for at least 24 hours. They hope to hold school again Friday morning if they are able to get water supply to those schools, Ashton said.
"Kids have to drink, they have to wash their hands and they need to use the bathroom," Ashton said. "To be able to run masses of kids in a public setting without access to water would be unsafe. We owe that not just to the children but of course to the families, safety is our first concern."
According to the 2013 U.S. Census, there are nearly 6,000 residents in Nibley.
For immediate updates, follow the Nibley city website or Facebook page.
Contributing: Brianna Bodily, Keira Farrimond, Caroline Peterson
