SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (ABC 4 News) - The source of the contamination that sickened well over one hundred people in northern Saratoga Springs remains a mystery. The campylobacter germ was most likely spread through the city's water supply. But as yet, water department crews have been unable to even find evidence that the bacteria was in the water, let alone its source.
"What we think might have happened is a one time contamination." said Lance Madigan of the Utah County Health Department. Still, he said we may never know for sure. "It takes a few days for people to get sick. a few days to go into the doctor, a few days to get the test results back, a few days for us to get the results. And by the time we go to test it's not there anymore."
In the Sunrise Meadows subdivision there is grumbling among some residents that they just may refuse to pay their water bill next month because of the contamination. The city has already received notice of one lawsuit.
"I don't agree with that," said Saratoga Springs resident Paul Ahn. "What I want to see is, first of all, take some responsibility. Find out what happened. And lets not let this happen again."
A neighbor of Ahn's agrees there needs to be assurances that this will not happen again. Lisa Barnes does not want to go through this again. "My husband did have a confirmed case at IHC and I was at the emergency room Thursday night until midnight with IV's and oxygen and when home with antibiotics."
Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love said they're not giving up on the search for answers. Mayor Love said they're even testing the city's pressurized irrigation system for contamination. One theory is that somewhere the hookups for the two, parallel systems might have been switched causing the contamination.
ABC 4 News will continue to follow the investigation in Saratoga Spring and will pass along the results.
