Thompson Falls Subway complies with DEQ order

Heather Hasty

Valley Press

The Subway in Thompson Falls has settled an administrative enforment action for violations of the Montana public Water Supply Laws with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

In August of 2008 the  DEQ cited the Subway for failure to monitor its water system for total coliform bacteria and for failure to post public notice of the monitoring violations. Basically the DEQ requires a restaurant to take water samples on a quarterly or monthly basis and send that sample to the lab for be reviewed. According to Scott McCollough, of the DEQ enforcement division, the restaurant had failed to take the sample on four separate occasions which is what cause the administrative order. The Subway is now required to provide a sample on a monthly basis.

If the bacteria is found it can trigger disease in consumers.

"They did not find any [in the current samples} but if there had been then we could take the proper steps to address the issue," McCollough said.

The order went out to the restaurant on Aug. 1 with the owner receiving it Aug. 4, since that time the samples have been sent in on the monthly basis.  They were also required to post notice of the issue within 30 days of the order and have it remain posted for seven days.

"We require them to sample for six consecutive months and then continue on the monthly basis," McCollough said.

The Subway has complied with the order, there has been no issues since and there was no bacteria found in any of the samples. The owners did not comment on the issue.