E. coli warning issued for San Juan River

BLANDING — San Juan County Public Health issued a warning Thursday night stating there are potentially unhealthy levels of E. coli in the San Juan River after recent flooding.

In a statement, San Juan County Public Health said testing in collaboration with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality pointed to the "possibility of other harmful pathogens in the water."

The organization said children, pets and livestock should not drink from or enter the river. It also advised the public to avoid recreating in the river and using it for drinking, cooking, hygiene purposes or other household uses.

According to San Juan County Public Health, if ingested, the contaminated water could cause people to become sick, with children, pregnant individuals and people with weakened immune systems being especially vulnerable.

Possible illness symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and a rash. These symptoms may show up within one to four days of contact with the bacteria.

San Juan County Public Health said anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact a doctor.

E. coli can remain present in wet environments for several weeks, according to San Juan County Public Health. Because of this, it advised that those working on flood recovery should wear protective equipment like gloves, a mouth covering and eye protection as needed. Additionally, people supporting recovery should make sure their tetanus vaccinations are up to date.