The 'boil-water' notice that was issued two weeks ago for the residents of Shady Acres trailer park in Napanoch was lifted last week when repeat water samples determined that the water was safe to drink.

"We are required to take bacteriological samples based on the population served," explains Dean Palen, Public Health Director of the Ulster County Department of Health. "If there are prohibitive results where coliform is present, other samples are taken." After a number of repeat samples came back positive, the notice was issued.

Coliform bacteria was found in the water which supplies residents of seventy-four mobile homes. Contrary to a previous report in the Times Herald-Record, the bacteria was not E-coli, a fecal-bacteria found in the intestinal tract of animals. Rather, the source of the contamination was soil-coliform bacteria, which originates as organisms in soil or vegetation. Soil coliform bacteria is naturally occurring and commonly used to determine the quality of water. Though both soil-coliform and E-coli may cause illness, E-coli – the most common form of coliform bacteria – can be lethal.

Victor Behoriam, the landlord of Shady Acres trailer park, issued the boil-water notice immediately after the health department's findings, and has continued to comply with the health department's requests.

The contamination occurred as a direct result of problems with the chlorination system. "There was a time when there was no chlorine in the system, and action will be taken," explains Palen. "The samples came back clean," adds Mike Maclary, also of the Ulster County Department of Health, "Everything is in working order, the way it should be, except for a few upgrades we've asked Mr. Behoriam to do."

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