San Vicente Water System Contaminated with Malathion Pesticide

Today, News Five spoke with Principal Public Health Inspector John Bodden about the situation in San Vicente Village, Toledo where six residents had to be hospitalized after ingesting poison that was placed in the water system in the village. As we told you on Tuesday night, one man is in police custody pending investigation. But Bodden says that they can confirm that the person laced the water system with malathion pesticide. 

On the Phone: John Bodden, Principal Public Health Inspector, M.O.H.W.

“The particular pesticide was malathion and it was reported that it was actually poured into the water system and it had a very high pungent odor coming from it and as a result of that we had to get into action in terms of ensuring that we could safeguard the system and prevent any serious condition occurring within the population. And so we had closed the water system in order for us to be able to secure that water that is contaminated and to clean out the system and then of course, we also collected some water samples to test the water so we could have detected any of the chemical in it. So in regards to the water sampling, we had to seek the services of BAHA to do the testing for us. But that was after the chemical malathion because the bottle was up there at the system and in fact police has somebody now in custody in regards to the contaminant that was used.”