SUN JOURNAL • September 10, 2024
Water commissioners explained in greater detail Tuesday evening their process of dealing with an arsenic-rich sludge that made its way into the Lisbon Water Department’s filtration plant last week. When a customer complained of dirty water around 5 a.m. Sept. 4, the department’s lone water operator isolated the issue, discovered elevated levels of arsenic and flushed the water system until 2 a.m. the next morning. During do-not-drink order, the town and its emergency response team set up a water distribution system for residents without access. Shellie Reynolds, water district interim general manager, admitted the methods — alerts via social media, notification of local media and use of the town’s emergency response system — were not enough to alert everyone.