Erie County Water Authority supervisor falsifies positive E.coli reading

Today, Artvoice and Buffalo News reported that a supervisor at the Erie County Water Authority tampered with a water testing report to cover up a positive E.coli reading from a water sample taken at Dodge Elementary School in Amherst on January 16. Subsequent tests taken at the school and the surrounding area yielded negative results.

The ECWA uses the IDEXX quanti-tray/Colilert testing system for its E.coli testing. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper also uses this testing system, in which a re-agent is added to a sample, sealed in a tray, and incubated for 24 hours. If E.coli is present, the tray appears phosphorescent under a UV light.

Was the sample incorrectly taken? Or was the presence of E.coli in Amherst's drinking water an anomaly? Either way, it is a felony to falsify a water quality report. According to the narrative published in Artvoice,

The job of monitoring water quality is not a difficult one but is an important matter of public trust. Citizens have the right to know the whole truth about the quality of their drinking water.

EPA is investigating the case, and the ECWA has announced that its board of commissioners will determine any disciplinary action for the supervisor.