Roadside fountain closed due to bacteria concerns

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Folks from throughout the area who have for decades stopped for a cool drink of water from the Kennedy Creek fountain 2 miles south of Paradise just off Montana 200, were greeted by ominous warning signs and a hastily rigged “fence” around the longtime landmark due to an apparent outbreak of an intestinal malady that Sanders County officials say can be traced to the fountain.

“Data indicate the outbreak (of Campylobacter infection) is attributed to consumption of water from the Kennedy Creek watering point south of Paradise,” said an official statement posted on the Sanders County website. “Multiple individuals have tested positive for Campylobacter infection after consuming water from this source”.

Signs warning the water may not be fit for human consumption have been posted at the site for years. Most of those signs last just a few days before locals and/or non-residents who have used the water for years without getting sick tear them down or deface them.

This, according to most locals, is the first time in recent memory that the fountain has been fenced off by what appears to be the tubular fencing found in many farm and ranch gates.

Those sections of the barrier, were apparently joined by black plastic zip ties.

A visit to the site by the Valley Press this past Saturday morning showed at least some of the ties had been cut and the front panel of the barrier slid aside to allow access.

Many in nearby Plains questioned the timing of the shutdown, just one week after Paradise Sewer Board member Terry Caldwell declared Paradise to have the best drinking water in Montana after the board rejected a plan to install a sewer system in the town.

“Paradise has the best, cleanest drinking water in the state of Montana,” Caldwell said at the time.

The town does not draw water from the creek, but gets drinking water from a well not near Kennedy Creek.

The dissatisfaction with the action has drawn the ire of several out-of-state residents who stopped recently at the fountain for what they describe as some of “that awesome tasting water”.

“We’ve been using that water source for 100 years and nothing like this has ever happened,” said local anti-sewer activist and Plains Water Board member Lee Ann Overman. “The timing of this closure seems questionable, even though Plains as a town does not draw its water from the creek”.

Art and Sandy Bailey, two frequent visitors to the area from Utah, said they were “bummed” to see the barrier in place and are hoping the situation can be resolved soon.

“We have always stopped at the fountain when we pass through this area,” Sandy said. “We’ve been drinking this water for a lot of years and have seen the warning signs in the past, but have never gotten sick from using it”.

County officials, including Saniatrian Shawn Sorenson, said recent test of the water have indicated the presence of the Campylobacater bacteria, which can cause diarhhea, abdominal pain, nausea and fever.

“The public is reminded that the Kennedy Creek watering point is not a spring, the news release states. “The source of this water is surface water that flows both above and below ground. It is open to contamination from humans, animals, insects and other forms of contamination typical of surface water”.

When told of these findings, the Baileys were quick to note that surface water supplies drinking water to many communities throughout the country.

County officials also say a mid-May outbreak of Campylobacter was confirmed by Montana Department of Health authorities in both Sanders and Mineral counties. Those sources say “approximately 20 cases have been reported with up to 18 of the cases reportedly “linked” to having consumed water from the site during a two-week period in mid April.

National health officials say the disease is the “most common bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the United States.

Truck drive James Olssen, who travels coast to coast from his home in Pennsylvania and has stopped by the creek to rest and refresh with the cool water from the fountain, scoffed at the idea Kennedy Creek water is any different than water elsewhere as far as risk goes.

“I’ve been stopping here for years, whenever I get a load for the Northwest,” he said. “I’ve never had a problem. Out east there are rivers and creeks in far worse shape and they aren’t fenced off”.

At least one long time user of the fountain, Michael Sheldon from “rural North Idaho” said he was once sickened by creek water that was traced to cattle feces related bacteria so he can understand why the creek was shut down.

However, Sheldon said he has always been told running water cleans itself and that nature has a way of taking care of the problem.

“If they closed every above ground water source there would be a lot of thirsty people,” he said. “I would miss not being able to stop for that cool water, especially when its hot in the summer time.”

Sanders County says it is against consuming the water from Kennedy Creek.

“This watering point is not considered to be a safe source of drinking water”.