POTSDAM – The Village of Potsdam is notifying residents through a letter that the filtration plant was in violation of New York State Sanitary Code for the month of June, but the problem has been corrected.

The letter was issued by the village through North Country This Week, and signed by Robert Henninger, chief operator of the village filter plant and Ron Sheppard and Joseph Brant from the state department of health.

They report some of the water produced at the water filtration plant did not meet the required turbidity standards in 10.2 percent of the readings during June, more than doubling the code allowance of 5 percent. Turbidity is a measure of clarity of water; the higher the level, the more likely the disinfection process will be less effective in treating pathogens.

According to the letter, the problem was caused when plant employees changed an approved coagulant chemical used at the plant, causing the water turbidity to rise unexpectedly between June 15 and 26.

“Adjustments to the coagulant dosage have been made,” the letter states, adding, “…turbidity levels have returned to normal and are currently well below the state sanitary code standard.”

The letter writers stress that at no time during that period did the distribution system samples taken for bacterial testing fail to meet state DOH mandatory disinfection requirements.