SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ (CBS5) -
The company that provides water service to portions of the San Tan Valley issued a terse "no comment" and hung up on a CBS 5 News reporter when asked for comment on reports of the area's water supply testing positive for E. coli.
San Tan Valley residents have been buying up as many bottles of water as they can, leaving grocery store shelves bare, after the Florence School District posted on its website that the water supply tested positive for E. coli.
The district claims one of Johnson Utilities' water samples tested positive for the bacteria Aug. 16, and is urging people to boil water before using it.
The district said 75 additional samples of water tested negative for E. coli. Meanwhile, people are scrambling and said this is a huge inconvenience.
The Johnson Utilities' website makes no mention of E. coli or contains results of any E. coli testing in August.
Reporter Jose Miguel said the company hung up on him when calling for their comments. The company reiterated its no comment stance when Miguel went to the company's office on Hunt Highway in Queen Creek, and then politely asked CBS 5 News to leave, Miguel said.
"Emptied all the animals' water bowls, kids can't take a bath, can't brush their teeth until we boil the water, and we're out here and of course, the wonderful Arizona weather, and it's the middle of summer and it's thunder and lightning," said Tammy Nichol.
The district said the utility plans to take further tests of the water but in the meantime, they are urging people to boil it or only use bottled water.
Johnson Utilities earlier refused comment when asked by CBS 5 News how many customers it serves and why, if the water test positive Aug. 16, residents were not alerted until now.
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