Since learning of the possible contamination, the town has been put under a 48-hour caution water restriction until test results are available. “THC-COOH is what they look for in urine for drug tests, urine is water-based, and THC-COOH can be detectable for more than a month”.
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Yowell said investigators were aware of that but had to follow up because of the field test results.
Police also carried out 10 other field tests, six of which returned a positive result, triggering the warning from officials. As the Denver Post points out, this isn’t a place that’s seen a fierce debate over marijuana use, although commercial growing is banned in the surrounding Lincoln county.
As of July 22, there has not been any reports of illnesses, symptoms, or anyone hospitalized. Yowell, “in our community and in our state that would disagree that having THC presumptive positive on a glass of tap water is usual and so because we don’t know”.
It’s unclear exactly how much THC is in the water supply; however, officials said more definitive lab tests are underway. Only one well seems to be contaminated and officials said that the well might have been deliberately tampered with.
While the possession and consumption of marijuana is legal elsewhere in Colorado, it is prohibited in Hugo with no retail marijuana operations or known cultivation sites in the town or in the broader Lincoln County area.
One of the well houses associated with the water supply showed signs of tampering, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office issued updates via social media urging people not to drink the water, shower or cook due to potential contamination.
“Well number one has been sealed and is not contributing to the current water supply to the town’s people”, Yowell said via Fox 31.
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“It’s quite an inconvenience cause if you got animals, you’ve got to give them bottled water.:01 You don’t want to hallucinate your dog or your cat”, Sam Stalford, resident said. “You know it’s just sad unfortunately, it’s the country that we live in now and the people are just insane”, said Linda Blevins, a Hugo resident.
