COUNTY LIFTS ORDER TO BOIL TAP WATER.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

AGUA DULCE - A ``boil water'' order for residents of the Sierra Paloma Valley housing development in Agua Dulce has been lifted after test results came back negative for the E-coli virus.

Los Angeles County health officials collected samples of water from several homes this week after test results from one resident came back positive Sept. 17. Those tests were taken by a private laboratory from Moorpark.

As a result, the SPV Water Company notified almost 70 homes that a boil-water order was in effect, after a citation was handed down from the county.

``There was a laboratory result brought to our attention, so we wanted to err on the side of caution,'' said Richard Wagner with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. ``Our staff did go out and take samples and lab results were negative.''

In addition, the distribution system was chlorinated.

Gary Milliman, president of the SPV Water Company, said he was unconvinced that there was ever any evidence of the E-coli bacteria. He said the county health department was notified, possibly by a disgruntled resident, who then began spreading rumors.

When the bacteria is found in water, it is usually a result of recent sewage or animal-waste contamination, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Milliman is also the city manager of South Gate, where about 70,000 residents were asked this week to boil their drinking water. That boil-water order was lifted Friday after test results of 32 sites came back negative.

``It's a very unusual coincidence,'' Milliman said Thursday.

``It's the same issue, but the difference is, (South Gate) officials caught it conducting routine testing,'' Milliman said.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com