Water Warning Goes Out To Residents In Sugar Grove

BY CLAIRE GALOFARO
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

SUGAR GROVE, Va. – A steady stream of cars pulled into the parking lot of the Sugar Grove Diner on Friday. Some were there for their weekly dining tradition, but most came to see if the rumors – that the diner had closed – were true.

On Thursday, 550 households and businesses in this Smyth County community got a letter from the Rye Valley Water Authority informing them that their water might be contaminated. For the next 18 months, the letter states, they must boil the water before drinking it, brushing their teeth, preparing food, making ice or otherwise ingesting it.

“People are scared,” said Michael D. Ward, an area resident and minister who sees 100 people every Sunday. “They might not come out and tell you, but you can hear it in their voices.”

Peggy Sexton, owner of the Sugar Grove Diner, decided it would be too expensive to meet the Department of Health’s requirements and closed up shop, telling her 18 employees she was sorry. A giant note on the diner’s front door blames the closing on the water contamination and instructs those on the doorstep to call their congressman, U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-9th, and state Delegate Bill Carrico, R-Independence.

There were no town hall meetings and no public hearings on the water troubles. The letter was written by the Virginia Department of Health and sent by the Rye Valley Water Authority. Many neighbors called each other to try to figure out what it meant.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia Waterworks Regulations require all waterworks using surface water or groundwater under the direct influence of surface water to be treated with filtration and disinfection processes. Currently, we do not provide the required filtration,” the letter states.

The required filtration system, a moving-van-sized piece of machinery would cost the water

company $1.3 million, and require 18 months to find, construct and implement, according to David Rutherford, systems operator for the Rye Valley Water Authority.

Sugar Grove, about 10 miles from Interstate 81, was home to around 800 people at the U.S. Census Bureau’s last count in 2000.

The letter continued in all caps: “UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, CONSUMERS ARE ADVISED TO BRING THEIR DRINKING WATER TO A ROLLING BOIL FOR ONE MINUTE BEFORE CONSUMPTION.”

Some said Friday they’ll follow the order and boil all of their water. Others said they will dig a well or just ignore the warning. But many said they drove to the closest grocery store, 10 miles away in Marion, to stock up on bottled water, an expensive endeavor when multiplied by a year-and-a-half.

Some officials say that help could be on the way. Darlene Neitch, of the Smyth County Board of Supervisors, said there is talk of bringing in a portable, temporary water filter.

“I’m on the phone five out of 12 hours a day,” she said. “We’re working. Everybody’s working.”

Still, what many find most troubling is the first line of the boil notice: “In July 2008 Rye Valley Water Authority began noticing changes in our untreated or raw water testing results.”

They wonder how 11 months passed before they were told anything.

Those at the health department and authority say they were just following procedure: a series of tests at various water levels to determine the level of bacteria. They contend that the water is not contaminated. The presence of certain bacteria, called coliform, suggests that surface water infiltrated the drinking water source, which suggests that parasites could be lurking there, said Robert Parker, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Health.

“We’re erring on the side of caution,” Parker said. “This is a precautionary measure.”

It is not clear whether bacteria levels improved or declined during those 11 months, but the Department of Health said that information may come next week.

“Here’s the deal, what people don’t understand,” said Rutherford, with the water authority. “We don’t have a contamination problem. Our bacteria numbers just exceeded the accepted average. What that means is that it’s an indicator that surface water is gaining access to the spring. It could be through a sinkhole. It could be a million things.”

The parasites feared live in the intestine of warm-blooded hosts, and can cause nausea, cramps, diarrhea and headaches when consumed.

Those at the health department said they have had no complaints of illness.

But, there are plenty of conspiracy theories floating around.

“I wonder how long this has been going on,” said resident Gary Hafer. “I have two kids. Did you notice they announced this the day after school let out? Why wouldn’t they notify the schools?”

People buzz around town discussing their diarrhea, their kid’s and neighbor’s diarrhea. Ward, his wife, Violetta, and their two children have all suffered several bouts of intestinal problems over the last year, he says. His neighbor, who has an above-ground swimming pool, has had them too.

“If this was a flood, the National Guard would be here with truckloads of bottled water,” Ward said. “I think this is equal.”

Ward also said that he’s smelled increasingly stronger odors of chlorine coming from his tap.

“I pay a $40 water bill,” another man said. “Just to be able to flush my toilet.”

cgalofaro@bristolnews.co | (276) 645-2531