E. coli found in Crow's Nest Campground water samples

Oct. 5—Residents at the Crow's Nest Family Campground in Thurmont are being advised to boil their tap water before consuming it after E. coli bacteria was identified in water samples taken at the campsite last week.

The Boil Water Advisory, issued by the Maryland Department of the Environment, will remain in place until the water tests negative for E. coli, according to an email from Jay Apperson, a spokesman for the department.

No illnesses or deaths from consuming water at the campground have been reported to the Maryland Department of the Environment, he wrote.

The water system at the Crow's Nest is sourced from one groundwater well, which services 50 residents, Apperson wrote.

The state department asked the campground to provide bottled water to all residents on Sept. 26, the same day that the presence of E. coli was confirmed in the water system, he wrote.

An email to the campsite from The Frederick News-Post went unanswered on Tuesday. So did a Facebook message to Kim Beavan, whose social media profile describes her as administrative specialist at the campground.

The general phone line for the campground also did not work.

William Beavan is the state environmental department's contact for the water system at the Crow's Nest, Apperson wrote. A phone number listed for Beavan on a Consumer Confidence Report from the campground in May 2022 was out of service.

E. coli is a type of bacteria that is found in the environment, foods and the intestines of people and animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Common sources of E. coli in drinking water include cattle farms, where the bacteria can live in the intestines of healthy cattle, according to the CDC.

The bacteria can also affect drinking water when feces from an infected person or animal gets into the water through sewage overflows, improperly working sewage systems, polluted stormwater runoff and agricultural runoff.

Common symptoms of E. coli illnesses include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that is often bloody, and vomiting, according to the CDC.

The state environmental department instructed Beavan to chlorinate the water system, Apperson wrote. The Crow's Nest is working with the state department to investigate the source of the contamination, he added.

The bacteria was identified in the campsite's water during routine monthly sampling conducted by the Crow's Nest, Apperson wrote. The small water system is required to collect water samples for E. coli, using a certified sampler and lab, he wrote.

When E. coli is discovered in a water source, followup water samples are taken at the original sampling spot, as well as upstream and downstream from the spot, and from all other water sources, Apperson wrote.

To remove E. coli from water, residents should boil their water for one minute, according to the CDC.

Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier

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