Over twenty people became ill in an Eagle, ID subdivision after their drinking water became contaminated.

The residents have separate, non-potable water that they can use for watering lawns and gardens. The homes are equipped with backflow devices to prevent contamination of the potable water, but the water company said that one of the devices was installed backwards.

“Since 2012 we have had three similar cases and in every case, it was the result of an improperly installed device by an unlicensed individual,” Marshall Thompson, general manager for SUEZ Company told www.kivitv.com.

The installation and maintenance of the backflow preventers are the responsibility of the homeowner, SUEZ says. The company sent a technician in response to a July 14 complaint regarding brown water. The technician flushed the lines, and a water test did not show low levels of chlorine.

After another complaint on July 18 prompted a subsequent water test that showed low chlorine levels, the erroneous backflow preventer was discovered.

“Overall we responded in a timely manner,” said Thompson. “Unfortunately the water quality testing to verify the water sample takes two days to process.”

Not all residents were satisfied with the outcome.

“We are out one hundred dollars in filters,” said resident Karen Howell, who had multiple family members become ill from the contaminated water. “I know people who have medical bills that they have to pay and nobody says they are responsible for this, it is getting passed on to us.”