City Sends Public Notice About Missed Water Test in May

Residents in Wessington Springs began receiving a public notice in their mailboxes the week of July 7, 2025 informing them that the city failed to monitor its drinking water for bacteria during May 2025.

According to the notice, the City of Wessington Springs is required by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to submit at least one water sample each month to test for total coliform bacteria. No sample was submitted for the month of May, and the city also shared that it did not record chlorine residual levels, which are another indicator of water quality.

The oversight was the result of a breakdown in communication between two recently hired public works employees — one of whom has since resigned.

“Evan (Blaha) didn't send it before he resigned,” said Mayor Ryan Knipfer, referring to the former public works employee who was in charge of submitting the samples. “The new hire, Brett (Lambert), didn't know Evan didn't send it.”

The problem was compounded by overlapping staffing changes within the water department.

“That’s the issue,” said Knipfer. “The new guy who quit was training the other new guy, and it took 30 days to hear from the state that they didn’t get a test sent to them.”

City officials emphasized that while May’s required water sample was missed, a water sample collected and submitted on June 12 tested safe and met state health standards. The city is now back in compliance and has resumed routine monthly testing.

The public notice encouraged residents to share the information with others who drink the city’s water but may not have received a direct mailing, such as those living in apartment buildings, nursing homes, schools, or businesses.

Though the missed test did not confirm the presence of harmful bacteria, it meant that the city could not guarantee water quality during that month. Total coliform bacteria, while generally not harmful on their own, are used as an indicator that other potentially harmful bacteria may be present.

Routine water testing will continue moving forward, and Mayor Knipfer said steps have been taken to ensure future monitoring requirements are met. For more information, the notice instructed residents to contact the mayor’s office via mail at PO Box 443, Wessington Springs, SD 57382-0443.