MV: City Water Problems
What’s going on with Missouri Valley’s water?
By Lee Zion, Editor
Harrison County Times-Reporter
This much is certain. A water report was falsified in Missouri Valley. It’s unlikely that people are at risk from their water. Little else is known.
Steve Robinette, with PeopleService of Missouri Valley, acknowledged Wednesday that there was some kind of false report, but could not explain further because the matter was part of an open investigation.
What is known came during the public comment session. Lori White addressed the matter, speaking to the council members.
“PeopleServices fired an operator for falsifying a water report. I contacted the DNR; they confirmed that there is an open investigation,” she said.
White wanted to know when the false report was discovered, who made the discovery, whether PeopleServices contacted the city, the council or the Department of Natural Resources. She also wanted to know if PeopleServices was facing a liability on their insurance.
Robinette was able to answer some of the questions about the operator, whose name was not named given.
“We discovered there may be an anomoly on the eighth. I reported it to our compliance officer on that same day. The next day, he came in and started an investigation,” he said at the meeting.
The incident itself occurred June 4.
“Who in the city can provide information about falisfied water reports? Because that is very pertinent to the citizens, who paid for these services with our tax dollars,” White asked.
Robinette answered that the council knows only the information that he provides. White turned to the council.
“Why aren’t you guys asking the questions?” she asked.
“Because you’re asking them right now. They’re the same questions I had,” answered Council member Christopher Gilpin.
Robinette said no other discrepancies were noticed. Right now, his department is looking back as far as the equipment will allow him to go back. It’s unlikely the city will be fined by the DNR, and it’s unlikely that the drinking water was affected, nor that anyone is at risk.
After the incident, the water was tested, and the water quality is still good, he said.
At one point, Mayor Roger Marshall urged the council to move on, but Gilpin wasn’t done.
“This is a good discussion. The city needs to know,” he said, adding, “From what our conversation was, there was no impact on the quality of the water.”
Wendy Whitrock, environmental specialist senior with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said there was no danger to the public from the water reports. This was just a slip-up with the day-to-day documentation of monitoring.
