SPOKANE, Wash. — City of Spokane leaders say contaminated tap water in part of Hillyard could be safe to drink by Friday, if not sooner.
People living in the area bound by Wellesley Avenue, Freya Street, Crown Avenue and Havana Street were asked on Friday to avoid drinking the tap water.
A commercial hydroseed vehicle that used water from city fire hydrants allowed some contamination to back flow into the city’s system when filling up with water, city leaders said. Before the alert was sent out, a few residents reported to the city that there was a green tint and fibers floating in their tap water.
Washington Department of Health Regional Manager Dorothy Tibbetts said short-term exposure to the contaminated water is not harmful.
"Generally we're looking at contaminants that are chronic in nature. It would take a long time of exposure where somebody's health would be impacted," Tibbetts said.
Tibbetts said determining any short-term effects from the hydroseed mixture has been a challenge for the department.
"Things are uncertain. We don't have all the information in terms of the constituents making up the materials that may have gotten into the water. It's challenging to describe specific health effects," she explained.
She said certain groups could be more prone to any illnesses from drinking the water than others.
"That's where health is a concern. If somebody already has a health condition or if they're very old or very young, could be more sensitive to exposure," Tibbets said.
She said so far, the department hasn't received any reports of people getting sick from this water. Still, she said it's not safe to drink and that you should contact your healthcare provider if you've ingested it and aren't feeling well.
City officials said crews are working to flush the system with clean water and have taken a variety of water samples from various locations in the area.
The flushing process will result in minor flooding on some intersections throughout the decontamination period.
City spokesperson Marlene Feist said hydroseed has grass seed. This means tests are aimed at looking for suspended solids and fertilizers, including nitrates, phosphorus and potassium.
She added that city leaders will then look for overall quality of the water, such as making sure there is sufficient chlorine to disinfect it.
The city has had daily communication with the Washington State Department of Health, providing them with updates, test results and their approach to the situation, Feist added.
City officials said free drinking water is being provided to people living in the area. Crews went door-to-door to deliver extra large cases along with an informational notice to each property.
Water bottles were also distributed at the post office located at 4401 N. Freya Street on Friday. Bottle distribution there will continue until the problem is resolved from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Hillyard residents collecting water from the Post Office center said they were concerned when they learned of the contamination but satisfied with the city's response.
"I can still shower, I can do my daily activities, I've got plenty of drinking water. I'm good to go," said resident Rob Marlow. "They're getting information out there to the citizens, and corrective action in place. They're on top of it."
At the end of the evening on Friday, workers estimated they'd given out more than 300 cases, adding up to more than 10,000 bottles of water.
Officials said the area affected is small, mostly containing commercial properties.
“We are working to resolve this situation quickly. Safe and reliable drinking water is critical to good health, and responding to this concern is our highest priority today,” Scott Simmons, the City’s Public Works Division Director, said in a press release.
People in the affected area can still use water for washing, showers and irrigation. People outside of the affected area in Northeast Spokane can continue to use their tap water.
Once the city resolves the situation, affected customers should run their water for five minutes before using it for drinking or cooking.