Wichita lab tech ‘fudged’ water results

Authorities say a Wichita lab technician “fudged” the test results of sewage treatment plant wastewater that is dumped into the Arkansas River.

The Wichita Eagle reports that Director of Public Works Alan King said Tuesday that the city caught the error during a spot check and immediately reported it to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The employee has since resigned.

The problematic test results falsely reported how much organic and inorganic substance is floating in the water. It’s generally used as an indicator of sediment or silt in the water.

King says Wichita’s permits shouldn’t be affected, and there was no danger to the public. Results from around the same time as the false one show that the city likely stayed within an acceptable range.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.