Buchanan residents have been warned by the Virginia Department of Health not to drink the town’s water without first boiling it.

To make matters worse, the precaution announced Wednesday is a measure the Botetourt County town’s 1,200 residents may be stuck with for a year or  more.

The advisory was put into effect when town officials notified the state about the presence of E. coli and coliform bacteria in one of Buchanan’s three working wells.

While E. coli and coliform are easy to detect and deactivate, Jim Moore , a field director with the health department, said that when a water source is found to be influenced by surface water, it’s at risk of contamination by the microorganism cryptosporidium , which can cause intestinal illness.

Although no sign of cryptosporidium has been found in the well, Moore said, “We have to assume it could be present.

“We’re left with only one alternative, and that’s to issue a boil-water advisory.”

The town’s water system consists of four drilled wells — only three of which are working — two storage tanks and two pump stations. The water is treated with chlorine and does not flow through a filtration plant, Buchanan Mayor Tom Middlecamp  said.

It is unclear how many residents the affected well serves because of the interconnectivity of the water system. About 208,000 gallons of water are consumed per day in the town. If the third well was taken offline, the town’s other two wells could not meet the town’s demand, Middlecamp said.

He said Thursday there is no quick fix to the community’s water woes. Residents could be under the boil-water advisory for up to 18 months, but the mayor estimated it could take about a year for the town to construct a water filtration plant to remedy the problem.

The estimated cost of the plant is $1.4 million.

The town requested stimulus funding for the project in late March and expects to get a response by mid-May.

On Thursday, Middlecamp signed a contract with Fincastle-based Engineering Concepts  to design the plant.

“One way or another we’ve got to have it,” he said. “Whether we get the [stimulus] funding or not.”

The town has been aware of potential problems with the water since May 2008, when tests showed heightened levels of contamination .

In February, the town council met with the Virginia Department of Health over concerns that the well was subject to influence by surface water.

The decision was made to conduct a $600 microscopic particulate analysis test and on March 9, samples were collected from the  affected well.

Results returned on Tuesday showed microorganisms found in surface water, which placed the well in a high-risk category and led to the boil-water notice.

Buchanan Elementary School  is affected by the notice. Principal Debbie Garrett  said the school was prepared when the notice was issued Wednesday morning, because its crisis plan calls for a day’s supply of bottled water to be stowed away. On Thursday, school officials ordered 100 cases of bottled water for the school’s more than 300 students.

Terry Austin , who represents the Buchanan District on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, said the county is willing to assist the town.
Health department spokesman Robert Parker said he is not aware of any complaints of illness related to the contaminated water.

“We see no reason for there to be any health problems if people follow the precautions,” said Doug Caldwell with the health department’s Office of Drinking Water.

Thursday night, a crowd filled the roughly 300 seats of the Buchanan Theater  for a public meeting with town and health department officials.
As the meeting progressed, concerns and voices continued to be raised.

Residents aired concerns about the distribution of information, losses to restaurants and tourism, zoning restrictions that prohibit well drilling, the frequency of water testing, health concerns and the fact that they would still be receiving a utility bill for water they can’t conveniently use.

“This is no one’s fault. This is a natural phenomenon,” offered Amy Fenster , a biology lecturer at Hollins University who lives in Botetourt County. “This is cause for reaction, but it’s certainly not cause for anger.”

Buchanan Vice Mayor Carson Scaggs  took the microphone and  referenced the flood of 1985 that hit the town hard.

“We made it and we’re here today,” Scaggs said. “I’ve seen what this town can do. With God’s help and everybody keeping levelheaded, we’ll survive this.”