KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Businesses in downtown Kannapolis reopened after a boil advisory was issued on Friday, April 24.
The city council said on Monday night that there are still questions and concerns from community members.
In the same meeting, city officials gave a more detailed timeline on the situation from the moment they said there was a positive E. coli test to the moment that the community was notified.
After a weekend full of questions and concern, the Kannapolis City Council laid out the timeline following a positive E. coli sample in the water.
“I would like to address some of the rumors that some of you may have heard regarding the situation that occurred that the city actually knew about this on Tuesday, April the 21st that information is inaccurate,” city manager Wilmer Melton said.
[ READ MORE: Boil water advisory continues in Kannapolis as some Concord‑supplied areas cleared ]
The city notified people about E. coli in Kannapolis water on Friday, April 24, but we learned the first positive sample was taken on Wednesday, April 22.
Melton explained that on Wednesday, April 22, a routine water sample was taken from a house spigot.
Then, 24 hours later, on Thursday, April 23, that sample came back positive for E. coli.
“So, the standard practice after that, if you have a positive test result, then you go back and you have to re-sample to ensure that there wasn’t some error that’s in that test cycle that took place,” Melton said.
The city said that, per standard practice, officials tested another sample on Thursday, April 23.
They received a positive result the next day on Friday, April 24, and notified the state.
Kannapolis said at 9:47 a.m. Friday, April 24, the state told them to issue a boil water notice.
At 10:18 a.m., Kannapolis Schools received an email about a water emergency from the Rowan County Health Department and began early dismissal.
Channel 9 first received information about the boil water notice from the city of Kannapolis at 12:24 p.m.
The state issued a Tier 1 violation on Tuesday related to the E. coli in Kannapolis water.
Channel 9 is asking for clarification about what that violation means. We also asked state leaders to clarify if it’s protocol to wait for a second confirmed test before notifying the public.
Health officials have not been made aware of any illnesses related to the E. coli.