From The Pueblo Chieftain (Matt Hildner):
Monte Vista and Manassa, like nine other valley communities, had operated their domestic water systems for decades with a disinfection waiver from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. But the state health department has withdrawn the waivers for Monte Vista and Manassa after the two towns submitted a series of positive tests for coliform stretching back to the first half of the decade. Coliform is a broad class of bacteria, whose presence may be a preliminary indicator of disease-causing agents in the water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In the case of Manassa, testing also revealed a positive for E. coli in Oct. 2008, said Ron Falco, safe drinking water program manager for the state health department. Monte Vista has been chlorinating its water with a temporary treatment system since May, although the town, which serves 2,200 taps, has been weighing whether to appeal the state’s chlorination order. The town is waiting for a report from its engineers before making a decision and hopes to respond to the state by the end of next month, City Manager Don Van Wormer said.
More water treatment coverage here.