Well came back positive for coliform and landlord hasn’t shocked it. Advice?

Submitted by moxonrox t3_10oldm9 in Maine

So around 6 months ago the water on the property we reside was tested to re-certify the commercial kitchen on site. Test came back positive for 1 coliform but the landlord refused to shock the well, so the owners of the commercial kitchen installed a UV filter in the commercial kitchen to continue business.

Here’s the problem: the drinking water in our home is not served by that filter. The test indicates that our well is compromised. I understand that coliform is an indicator and not all coliform is dangerous. However, I asked our landlord to conduct a follow-up test to ensure that our drinking water is safe and they refused.

Any advice?

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2SticksPureRage t1_j6felp8 wrote

Maybe you could try putting a call into code enforcement?

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moxonrox OP t1_j6ff2z6 wrote

All I could find in the state laws was that a landlord has to notify you of coliform levels, but nothing about rectifying it:

The landlord or building manager of a dwelling that is rented for human habitation and for which the water supply is a residential private drinking water well shall obtain a water test every 3 to 5 years for the contaminants specified pursuant to section 2660-T and shall disclose the results of the water test to each tenant of the dwelling within 10 business days after receiving the results from a laboratory. The landlord or building manager shall allow each prospective tenant of the dwelling to review results of the most recent water test prior to signing a lease or moving into the dwelling.

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2SticksPureRage t1_j6fj0hi wrote

Yeah, I’m not good at dissecting laws or seeking out pertaining laws but I don’t think it would hurt to give them a call and see if they can help or point you in the right direction. Maybe they can’t help at all but it’s worth a shot.

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Guygan t1_j6fd80c wrote

Lawyer up.

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IamSauerKraut t1_j6hr22u wrote

Too early. Plus, OP does not want the burden of carrying the costs w/no guarantee of getting the $$ back.

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nogiblets t1_j6fft1n wrote

Test your water yourself. It's not very expensive. The results will direct your to next steps. There's got to be some sort of town gov't inspectional services you can call for help too.

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moxonrox OP t1_j6fhbab wrote

Thanks! However, all I’ve found online are home tests that test for if coliform is present (which we know it is), but not how many colonies (which would indicate the problem has gotten worse).

I’ve reached out to the testing company our commercial kitchen uses but those tests are over $100, which feels wrong for us to foot ourselves based on principle.

Do you have any tips on which tests?

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reddit_username_blah t1_j6fjzh4 wrote

Are you going to skimp on $100 out of principal? This is your health and your families health. Get it done and then try and claw it back.

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dghah t1_j6fmeg3 wrote

2nd this. You always want a second test, *especially* if the first test was not done by you and you don't have the raw lab results in hand. Totally worth the cost.

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heggieknitter t1_j6g6hpd wrote

You should not test for the general "coliform" - you know that is positive. You should test for fecal coliform and e. coli. Maine Environmental Laboratory has a good description of what each of the tests mean. If you're within reasonable driving distance of Yarmouth, they also do the analyses and their price is reasonable.

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moxonrox OP t1_j6ixcnc wrote

I found a company that will do a follow up test to identify the type of coliform for $50, so we will see what that turns up in about a week or so!

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nogiblets t1_j6fm3mu wrote

If I'm reading ME law correctly, your landlord is supposed to supply you with the actual test results which would serve as a baseline for you now. Someone in your local gov't has the answers you need—health inspector? building code people? You could start with your town clerk to find out who to contact. You can also search for a tenant's rights association in your location that can help.

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IamSauerKraut t1_j6hqzmn wrote

Well water specialist thru DHHS can help. I posted link to more info, above.

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sixfootskunkplant t1_j6fx7wl wrote

Call your county extension service and ask if they will test it for you.

That would get it into the system, as well, in case you need to lawyer up later.

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lipsticknic3 t1_j6hkrr1 wrote

Code enforcement isn't just for reporting a landlord. They are an excellent resource, literally your local code expert. They should be able to point you in the right direction maybe even give advice.

Or you waste ten minutes. No stone unturned gig, they say.

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notqwhiteright t1_j6iffkp wrote

What part of Maine? A bacteria test with count is only $30 and can easily be done by you. With a very low hit like that it is almost always sampling error. If you do retake the test make sure to remove your aerator and sanitize the faucet with bleach before collecting the sample.

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moxonrox OP t1_j6ix62d wrote

The original test 6 months ago did have those steps taken, but great info!

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Oniriggers t1_j6k81qg wrote

I’d reach out to the Maine CDC drinking water program.

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